Hell Hath No Fury
by moi-moi819
Summary: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."  Sequel to Three Inuyasha's are Better Than One. NOT FOR KIKYOU-LOVERS.
1. Prologue

**Moi-Moi: Hey you guys! Guess who's back? Back again? You guys have been waiting for this for a while now so let's get right down to it. I wanted to wait until I had a name for this story before I posted up the first chapter.**

**KagInuReader: That's it? There's nothing you want to say to the public?**

**Moi-Moi: Ummmmmm… Not really. Just that this story is not for Kikyou-lovers. There is MAJOR Kikyou bashing in this fic. She's the main bad guy! **

**KagInuReader: Obviously…**

**Disclaimer: MoiMoi819 and KagInuReader do not own Inuyasha or any of its titles therein.**

**~:~**

Sesshoumaru looked around himself slowly. He was sitting at the head of his table with others around him. His mate, Kagura, the monk and his fiancée were sitting with him as well. No one was speaking. Even Sesshoumaru found the eerie silence to be unnerving.

He looked to his mate first. Kagura was fiddling with her hands in her lap. She had taken to saying very little as of late. Next, was the monk. He looked to be meditating, motionless. Finally, the Taijiya. She had her arms folded over her chest with an irritated look on her face. Her leg was bouncing quickly and her fingers were tapping on her upper arm. It was obvious that no one was going to do anything. At once, Sesshoumaru stood and left the room.

The Taiyoukai made his way up the staircase and onto the second floor. He gracefully moved to the end of the hall. Facing the last door, he opened it slowly and enter the room unannounced.

Sesshoumaru watched the room. It was in a terrible condition. The walls were clawed, the furniture demolished, the floors were uproot. Even the ceiling was destroyed. Sesshoumaru sighed and said, "You cannot stay in that bed for the rest of your life."

The lump in the bed didn't move. Nor did it respond.

This was his brother? Well, what was left of him. The hanyou had taken to staying in this room and refused to speak to anyone. Sesshoumaru was sure he hadn't eaten anything since…

"Inuyasha, get up. You are a disgrace to me as you are," Sesshoumaru said. Nothing. He waited for a snide remark or obscene gesture. But, it never came. Sesshoumaru had to listen for the hanyou's breathing to make sure he was still alive.

"I'll take over from here Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru didn't have to turn around to know that it was _her. _Kikyou moved around the Taiyoukai and over to the futon on the ground. She knelt in front of it and began to work. Sesshoumaru watched as she began to groom his uncaring brother. It was sickening to watch. She began to hum to herself a light tune.

"Inuyasha. I will not tolerate this foolishness from you anymore. You choose to neglect your responsibilities. I cannot stand by and watch you destroy yourself. The miko may sit back and smile with you but I will not," Sesshoumaru said and turned to the door. Before leaving he said, "If you die in this room, do not assume for one second that I will watch over your pup."

Sesshoumaru shut the door behind him and tried to push back down his anger. From the other side of the door he heard Kikyou say, "_Don't worry about him, Inuyasha. Just rest. I'll be right here."_

~:~

**Moi-Moi: Well, there's the prologue. In the upcoming chapters, we find out more about what has happened since… well *you know what*…**

**Anyways, until next time everyone!**


	2. Making Progress

Kagura stirred a pot of stew as the sun began to set. Around the table, everyone waited for dinner to be finished so they could eat. Rin sat next to Shippou. Neither were very talkative tonight. Shippou had stopped talking much since he found out what happened to his Mama… After that, he stopped playing like a child should. He mostly stays quiet now. Rin does the same. It's just not the same since Uncle Inu doesn't talk to anyone.

"Dinner," Kagura says and lays out the rice for everyone. She takes everyone's bowls and one at a time, she fills them with soup. Finally she takes her seat on Sesshoumaru's right. Everyone eats quietly.

Just then, Kikyou steps into the room without a word. She makes a dish of food and everyone stops eating to watch her. As she finishes, she leaves the room and Sesshoumaru watches her leave. "I don't like having her here," Kagura says.

"Why?" Rin asks. She doesn't get an answer.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru commands. The toad snaps up and at once is ushering the children out of the room with their food. It's time for adults to speak.

Once out, Kagura says, "I want her out."

"She won't leave willingly," Miroku says.

"It's my home! She _will _leave! She is destroying my family. How can she stay up there and fake like she's happy! The man is _dying,_" Kagura says.

"Kagura," Sesshoumaru says to quiet his mate. "I know you are just voicing your opinion. I know that my brother is not in the best of health, but I will deal with it."

"_How? _You only talk to him! He's not listening! The man is in shock and is killing himself! I can't sit here and watch his waste away!" Kagura says and storms out of the room. Sesshoumaru sighs and tries to push away the headache threatening to form. Not only was his mate constantly upset, his charge a shell of her former self, and his brother an emotionless sac, but he also had what looked like a war on his hands. The panther demons were moving in on his territory and he had to strike back.

"I think he's sleeping. Please keep it quiet and try not to wake him up," Kikyou said in a clipped voice and left the bowl of food on the table. It was the exact same amount she had taken.

Sango watched the bowl and said, "The only good to come out of this is that not even _she _can get through to him."

~:~

Sesshoumaru opened the door to his brother's room and stepped in. he approached the bed and had to hold his breath. The hanyou spelled awful. Yanking the covers off of him, Sesshoumaru grabbed his brother by the ankles and dragged him out of the room. Fortunately, Inuyasha was too weak to put up much of a fight. That, or he didn't care. Others opened their doors to see Sesshoumaru dragging Inuyasha down the stairs and out of the lodge, the whole way Inuyasha was letting out small whines.

Stopping at a nearby lake, Sesshoumaru swung his arms briskly and tossed his brother into the cold water. A few seconds later, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes when the hanyou didn't resurface. He was about to go in after him, when Inuyasha jumped up while gasping for air. Slowly, the hanyou crawled onto the shore and laid in a wet heap. Inuyasha glared up at Sesshoumaru. "Save you ire for someone who needs it, Inuyasha."

"Leave me alone, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. His voice was slightly cracking, either from disuse or a lack of water.

"No. You are to clean yourself up now. You are giving my home a distasteful smell. If you want to kill yourself, do it in a less offensive way. May I suggest a quick death? I'd be more than happy to be your executioner," Sesshoumaru said.

"_Fuck you."_

"That _is _what you want, isn't it? You do not eat our drink. You refuse to talk or interact with your pup. It shames me. It would shame your ningen mother as well." Sesshoumaru said. At this, he had Inuyasha's attention. "She lost our father, yet she did not neglect her duties to you. Yet, you neglect your pup. You shame me, father, and your mother," Sesshoumaru continued. Inuyasha watched Sesshoumaru with hard eyes before looking away. "If you are not clean and do not wish to live, then I would suggest you not come back. Stay here and die if that is what you want." Sesshoumaru said this and left his brother alone in the clearing.

~:~

Around noon, Everyone sat at the table again for lunch. It was quiet as usual among them. Just then, a creak was heard. Everyone looked up from their plates to see none other than Inuyasha walk in and take a seat at the table. No one said anything to him, though for a fear of scaring him off. Kagura made him a dish and gave it to him with a sympathetic look. He took it and began eating. When he did, the tension let up and everyone began eating again.

"I met with Rae today. She told me that her pups are as energetic as ever," Kagura said to no one in particular.

"Mama, are you gonna have pups too?," Rin asked and looked up at the wind demon with a look only a child could pull off.

"Ask your Papa," Kagura said. Rin looked to the Taiyoukai with a questioning glance.

"They can't have pups," Shippou said.

"How come?" Rin said with a pout.

"Cause you can only get pups from the stork," Shippou says as though it's common knowledge. "And _everybody _knows there ain't no storks in the West."

Rin pouted and her face turned a bright red. She wanted to ask what a stork was, but didn't want to seem stupid for not knowing. "Who told you that kit?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Shippou turned to the dog demon and froze. In a small voice he muttered, "_Kagome."_

Everyone stopped. They tried not to look at Inuyasha. The last thing they wanted to happen happened. They could only hope the hanyou didn't revert back to his old ways and block off the rest of the world. "Well, she's an educated woman. So, she must be right," Sesshoumaru said and continued eating. He had faith in his brother.

"But, _Papa. _Where can we find a stork?" Rin asked anxiously.

"You can't just _find _one. They come to you when they're ready. You have to wait for it," Shippou said and ate some more rice.

"That's dumb," Rin said and crossed her arms.

"_Nuh-uh. _I bet you don't even know _what _a stork is," Shippou said.

"Do _to!"_

"Do _not!"_

"_Do to!"_

"_Do not!"_

"_Do to!"_

"_Do- ow!"_ Shippou said and rubbed his cheek. Someone had flung an uncooked rice grain at him. He turned to see Inuyasha's glare. _Cut it out. _Picking up his chopsticks, Shippou went back to eating. Kagura and Sango held back their smiles and Miroku smirked. Rin was sticking out her tongue at the fox while Shippou pouted. Sesshoumaru watched the series of events with a blank stare. There was hope for his brother yet.

~::~

That night, Sesshoumaru was outside of Inuyasha's room. The Taiyoukai opened the door and looked inside. Kikyou was sitting next to the futon with her hands on her lap and a hard look on her face. Inuyasha was sitting up and leaning against the wall with Tetsuiga across his front.

"What?" Inuyasha barked.

"I must speak with you," Sesshoumaru said and turned to Kikyou, "_alone."_

Kikyou glared back at Sesshoumaru and held her spot. Slowly, Inuyasha opened his eyes and said, "Kikyou, leave us." With a stunned look, Kikyou got up and left the two brothers alone. "What now? I cleaned up and ate. What more do you want?"

"You must watch Rin tomorrow. I have much to do. I am leaving Jaken here, but Kagura will go with me," Sesshoumaru said.

"I ain't no damn babysitter, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. Confused by his brother's words, Sesshoumaru remained quiet. _I do not request that he sit on my charge…_

"Do not allow Rin to stay up late. She is to be in bed as soon as she finishes her dinner," Sesshoumaru said.

"I ain't watching her."

"Also, do not allow her to get near any jasmine plants. She is highly allergic," Sesshoumaru continued.

"What part of '_I ain't no damn babysitter' _don't you understand?" Inuyasha said and glared at his brother.

"I am allowing you and your pack to stay here and eat from my table. You will watch your niece," Sesshoumaru said and left. Inuyasha growls lowly and leans back. _What an arrogant asshole…_

~:~

**Moi-Moi: There we go! Inuyasha's making progress. Who knew Sesshoumaru cared so much? As you can tell, Sesshoumaru's going to play a big role in this story. Especially in getting Inuyasha back on his feet and other things. A little brotherly love is necessary, right? Review you guys!**

**P.S. The Story is labeled as Kagome & Kikyou because i feel that this story will mainly revolve around them. Inuyasha will be there(obviously) but Kikyou and Kagome play much larger roles. even though we won't see Kagome for several chapters...  
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	3. In Time

"Quit pulling my tail!"

"I just wanna brush it! Keep still!"

"No! Your hands are all sticky! You're pulling my fur!"

Inuyasha felt his ear twitch and he dug his claws further into the wood underneath him. Sesshoumaru wasn't joking. Hours before the sun rose, Sesshoumaru had woken everyone and they all had left silently. Inuyasha was now stuck with a human girl, his demon pup, and a toad. Sesshoumaru was a cruel man.

The hanyou felt his self-control breaking piece-by-piece. Between Shippou's shrill cries, Rin's loud yells, and Jaken's annoying squawks, the hanyou was at his wit's end. He had nearly a month of not speaking to anyone, but he was quickly losing his patience. Slowly, he cracked an eye open to look at the children.

Rin was grabbing harshly onto Shippou's tail with a purple substance on her hands. The fox kit was crying miserably with a face as red as a tomato. The toad was starting to turn purple with all his yelling.

"Rin! You stop that right now! As Lord Sesshoumaru's daughter, you must conduct yourself as a young lady! Not a hooligan! Rin! Are you listening to me!" Jaken squawks.

"Is this how you baby sit?"

Inuyasha turns around on his seat on the wooden steps outside of Sesshoumaru's lodge. Behind him, Kikyou is smiling with a bright smile. Inuyasha tries to smile back, but stops after a second. "Hey, Kikyou."

"Are you not happy to see me? I'm happy to see you out and about," she says and sit next to him. She looks over at the children, "Why are you letting them continue with this behavior?"

"Because, when you stop them they just go right back. It's pointless," he says. Kikyou shakes her head with an amused smile and heads to the children. Inuyasha watches as she pulls Shippou away from Rin and begins to pat down his purple-spotted tail. Shippou freezes in her arms and looks to Inuyasha for guidance.

Kikyou places Shippou on her lap and smiles at him, "Isn't that better?" Shippou nods and crawls away from the priestess. Kikyou tried to pull him back, but he slips away again and runs to the stunned hanyou on the step. On Kikyou's face, a flash of anger and irritation is shown, but she quickly pushes it away. Kikyou turns to Rin and the girl stares back. After a while, Kikyou stretches out her hand to the girl. Rin watches the hand, but makes no move to touch it. "I don't bite," Kikyou says.

Inuyasha watches the exchange with curiosity. Rin's never one to push away affection. She's not the shy type either. Why now? Rin runs around Kikyou and toward the hanyou. "Uncle Inu, can we go inside now? I don't want to be outside anymore."

Kikyou looks away.

. . . . . .

"Does she have no manners or is she just that willful?" Kikyou asks in a sharp tone.

Inuyasha shrinks back slightly at her cold tone, but continues to walk with the priestess. "Rin isn't rude. I don't know why she did that."

"Someone must discipline her. She shouldn't behave that way to her elders or anyone for that matter."

"She's just a child," Inuyasha says. The second he finishes, he wished he hadn't spoken. Kikyou turned to him with a hard glare and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"_Just a child. _She would not have behaved that way if it were Kagome speaking to her, would she?" Kikyou says in a cold tone.

"What?" Inuyasha asks. In the month since Kagome's passing, no one had spoken of her at all. Inuyasha guessed that it was for his sake. But, here Kikyou was, speaking of her as if she wasn't dead at all or as if nothing had happened.

Kikyou doesn't answer him. She continues on and snaps back, "Do not follow me."

Inuyasha watches her go before heading back to the lodge and the children. They were taking a nap with Jaken watching over them. What was wrong with Kikyou? Why did she speak of Kagome in such a harsh tone? Anyone

would think that she cared for Kagome after what happened…

. . . . . . .

"You say she spoke with a venomous tone. Did she speak that way to Rin?" Sesshoumaru asks to Inuyasha later in the evening.

"No. Rin ran off before she could," Inuyasha says. "It doesn't make sense though. I thought Kikyou would have at least _liked _Kagome."

"Did she ever tell you that?" Sesshoumaru asks in his monotonous voice.

"No. But, you remember what she said. What would make you think any different?" Inuyasha asks. Sesshoumaru was somewhat glad his brother was talking again. Slowly, things were going back to normal, or somewhat normal.

"Yes. I remember," Sesshoumaru answers.

_Sesshoumaru watches on as Kikyou continues to soothe his grieving brother. She had posed a silent challenge to him and continued on with her façade of a comforting friend._

_The monk and Taijiya had landed on their demonic cat and were staring at him questioningly. "I know not what has happened. Ask the priestess," Sesshoumaru says. They turn to her with confusion and hope in their eyes. Kikyou turns to them with a sad look and continues to rub his brother's back. At once, the taijya embraces her monk and begins to sob. Tears fall from the monk's eyes and he holds her close. Turning to the cliff, Sesshoumaru walks toward it. He looks over the edge and says, "You never told us exactly how she died priestess."_

"_Do think now is the time?" Kikyou asks. Inuyasha stops his incessant sobbing along with the Taijya and monk. Sesshoumaru looks at her blankly. "After you and Inuyasha left, it was Kaoru and I alone. I was unsure whether to kill her or let her live. But, she jumped off the cliff after Kagome and retrieved the girl. They were unharmed. I blame myself for what happened next. _

"_I thought I could trust the demon, but she was not worth the dirt under my shoes. The second Kagome let her guard down, Kaoru had her by the neck. The girl was so frightened and confused, she didn't remember that she could purify the demon. I aimed for Kaoru, but she held Kagome to her. She started to levitate over the cliff. She was threatening to drop her. I didn't know what to do. I let go of the arrow and ran to Kagome as quick as I could. Kaoru dropped her and the arrow didn't purify her, but she got away. I couldn't stop her. I held onto Kagome the best I could. She kept slipping…"_

_Kikyou left her statement hanging in the air and the air grew ten times thicker. _

_. . . . . ._

Sesshoumaru had gone down with Inuyasha in the chasm to search for her body but they had found nothing. Naraku's remaining miasma was infesting the bottom, destroying any signs of life. They couldn't find Kagome or Kaoru. Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru could not smell Kikyou's scent while she told her tale. She was masking her scent. Everything was suspicious. But, Sesshoumaru kept quiet. He would expose Kikyou for the lying shrew she was in time.

**~:~**

**Moi-Moi: Now you know what Kikyou says happened. But, of course we all know this isn't true. Hurry, Sesshoumaru! Save the day!**

**I know Sesshoumaru is turning out to be a major character, but give it a while. Once Kagome is re-introduced, Sesshoumaru will go back in the shadows. (I guess you can tell that Kagome will be coming back. But, is she really dead? Or is she just a **_**really **_**good hider? ;)**


	4. Searching for Answers

Inuyasha rolled over on his futon and groaned.

It was too damn bright and loud. The birds just _had _to sing. The sun just _had _to shine. Couldn't they sympathize with him and leave him alone? He just wanted to stay in his bed. Unfortunately, even his own body was betraying him.

The smell of a delicious breakfast was caressing his sensitive nostrils. He didn't want to get up though. Cursing silently, the hanyou dragged himself out of bed and out of the room.

Following his nose, the hanyou walked into the kitchen. There's was no one eating at the table. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone all morning. Where were they all? Hearing a board creek, the hanyou turned towards the sound.

"Good morning."

His blood went cold.

There, in front of him, was none other than Kagome with a big smile on her face and a large plate of food. He moved his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She walked towards him and placed the plate down on the table. She gestured for him to sit and he did. His mouth finally let him speak when she began placing some chop sticks in his hand. "Kagome? You're alive? Is this a dream?" he asked all at once.

She gave him a weird look and blinked before giggling to herself, "That's just too cute. You must still have sleep on your brain."

"I'm being serious. Answer me," he says with determination. He was tired of the dreams. He was tired of dreaming that the last few months never happened only to wake and find that it was all a dream. He was tired of weeping for hours after the dreams.

She gives him a flat look and sighs, "_No, _Inuyasha. It's not a dream. See?" She pinches him and he grabs his arm to sooth it. "You can't feel that in a dream."

The food was the last thing on his mind. Kagome was standing in front of him in the same kimono he had given her and was smiling down at him. "Where have you been? Why didn't you come back to me?" he asks.

"I-" she says and stops. Her smile disappears. She looks down at herself and he looks with her. In the middle of her kimono, a red splatter shows and grows darker. Inuyasha can smell the scent of her blood filling the air. In the next second, Kagome collapses and Inuyasha catches her before she hit's the ground. He holds her as she continues to bleed to death. He cries out for help, but no one comes. He watches Kagome die in his arms.

. . . . . .

For the rest of the day, Inuyasha doesn't speak.

Everyone knows. He must have had another nightmare.

Sesshoumaru, most of all, feels immense regret. He was slowly coaxing his brother out of his depression, but now he was even further in.

"Where are you going?" Kagura asks her mate.

"To the place where Naraku was killed," he answers.

"Why?" Kagura asks and reaches for him.

"I do not believe the Miko. I am going to check for her body."

"But, the place has been searched hundreds of times. We never found anything. The miasma-" Kagura says.

"I am going," Sesshoumaru says before walking out of the lodge and taking flight. Kagura follows him outside and watches him fly away. She knows his intentions are good. He only wants closure for his brother.

"Where is he going?" Kikyou asks. Kagura turns to the priestess with a sneer.

"That is none of your concern. What my mate does is his own business," Kagura says.

"Am I to assume that you do not know?"

"You are to stay out of what doesn't concern you."

"If it concerns Inuyasha, it concerns me," Kikyou says.

"Who told you that lie? What concerns Inuyasha, does not concern you. _You _are _not _his mate. You never _have been. _And, you never _will be," _Kagura says with a hard voice.

"We'll see about that," Kikyou says and walks toward the lodge.

"A word of advice: don't get to comfortable. I don't believe your story_. _The _second_ I find out that it was a lie, I'm kicking your scrawny ass _out of my house_," Kagura says and pushes past her and inside. She then slams the door in Kikyou's face. Outside, Kikyou silently steams.

. . . . . .

Later that evening, Sango helps Kagura with the dinner. Once it is finished, they proceed to share out the food.

Just then, the entrance to the lodge opens and closes. Everyone stops as Kikyou walks in and begins to prepare a bowl of food. She continues to fill the bowl but stops when a hand stops her own.

Kagura takes to bowl from her and continues to fill it. She then looks and Kikyou's cold face. "I'll do it tonight. He's my brother-in-law. He's family. It's my right," Kagura says and leaves the priestess behind.

She walks upstairs to Inuyasha's room, not having a clue on how to make him eat. But, she didn't regret taking the responsibility away from Kikyou.

Knocking lightly on the door, she opened it and walked inside. He was laying under the covers of the futon. Slowly, Kagura moved next to the futon and sat next to it. She waited for Inuyasha to acknowledge her, but he didn't move. "Are you still alive?" she asked. He was so still, she couldn't tell if he was breathing.

"Inuyasha, please eat something."

Nothing.

"Inuyasha, I want you to eat something."

Nothing.

"Fine. You don't have to eat," she says and puts down the bowl. "I'll talk to you instead. I feel lonely. Sesshoumaru left this afternoon, around mid-day. He didn't say why, but I know why. I think it's really noble. He did it for you."

Still nothing.

"Is this what that witch does when she comes to feed you? I wanted to do it tonight, just to upset her. She's such a bitch. I can't _stand _her. I'm sorry if I'm offending you, but I really hate her. I wish she would leave us all alone. She frightens Rin and she sasses me in my own home.

"Do you mind if I eat some of the food? I left my food down stairs. I'll just take a bite. Anyways, she's such a bitch. She acts like she's a saint, but she's not. She acts like she perfect, but she's not. She's a cruel, sick woman. And Sesshoumaru will prove it when he gets back.

"I don't think he wants me to tell you. He doesn't want to get you hopes up. But, I'll tell you something. He took Tenseiga with him," Kagura says and stands. "I'll leave the food there. If you want it, feed yourself."

She leaves the room and shuts the door behind her. She wasn't sure if she got through to him or not, but only time would tell. When Kagura turned to leave, Kikyou was standing there waiting. "That's disturbing. You need to cut that creepy shit out," Kagura says and leaves. She could curse as much as she wanted now. Sesshoumaru was gone. He never let her curse.

Kikyou opened the door to Inuyasha's room and went in. she went straight to his bed and watched him. He didn't acknowledge her. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the bowl Kagura had brought in. Gritting her teeth, Kikyou picked up the empty bowl and left the room in a huff.

. . . . . . .

Sesshoumaru soared in the skies towards Naraku and Kagome's grave. In the past, the had only checked the cliff and the chasm where Kikyou said she had fallen. This time, Sesshoumaru would check everywhere; villages, caves, caverns, mountains. Someone must have seen at least a sign of the Miko.

Sesshoumaru sped up slightly.

The faster he found something, the faster he could go back to his mate and pup. And, the faster Inuyasha would come out of his depression and tell the priestess to leave.

"My lord! Slow down!" Jaken squawked. Sesshoumaru frowned. Jaken had stowed away. Why hadn't the toad fallen off yet? "My lord!"

Sesshoumaru goes faster while Jaken squawks and makes other unidentifiable noises.

~:~

**Moi-Moi: There you go. What else do I say? Uh, Review? I guess…**

**KagInuReader: That was so lame.**

**Moi-Moi: You're lame! :'C Wahhhhh!**

**KagInuReader: -_-'**


	5. Alive

Chapter 4

"My lord, is it possible that we may go back now? It's just that I feel there may be nothing left to find, my lord," Jaken says while holding his staff nervously. "She was only a human, my lord."

"That _human _could have taken your life in a second, if she so chose. She was my brother's mate. She was part of the clan. We will continue searching until _something _is found," Sesshoumaru said in a tone that left no more arguments. Jaken sighed softly and held the staff closer to his body. He really wanted to take a break, or better, go home. The girl was only human. She couldn't have survived. But, Sesshoumaru-sama was confident. Maybe she _had_ survived? But, why had she not come back?

"My lord, maybe you should stop for a break. Perhaps in the cave over there?" Jaken said. The toad flinched back when Sesshoumaru's glare hit him from over the Taiyoukai's shoulder.

"Are you suggesting that I need to rest, like a common _human?" _Sesshoumaru asked with a cold tone. Jaken cowered behind the dog demon and waited for the beating. When it didn't come, the toad opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru was crossing through the air and through the chasm to the other side. Jaken watched as the dog demon entered the cave.

"My lord! Wait for me!" Jaken squawked. _I thought he didn't want to rest…_

. . . . . .

Sesshoumaru entered the cave and froze.

He had only entered to search for a sign of the miko. Instead, he found the scent of old blood and salt water. He continued into the cave and stopped at its center. A patch of dried blood remained on the floor. It wasn't old; no more than a week.

"My lord, what is it?" Jaken asked when he spotted his master leering at a spot of dried blood. Jaken approached it and looked at it as well. Jaken continued to stare at it with hopes that something would happen. Nothing seemed special about the blood. Did an animal die? "My lord, wait for me!" Jaken yelled when Sesshoumaru started to leave him behind yet again. Barely making it, Jaken held n as Sesshoumaru fly away from the chasm. "Where are we going my lord!" Jaken asked. Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He two continued to fly off to wherever Sesshoumaru led them.

. . . . . . .

Sesshoumaru continued his trek in the nearby forest.

The blood he had found was from many different beings. He could smell the blood of animals, demons, and several humans. But, two scents stuck out the most to him. The day Kagome died, Sesshoumaru had committed the scent of Kaoru's blood to memory. They had used that blood the try to find her. He, his brother, and several others had failed to find her. Kaoru's blood was in that cave.

More importantly, _Kagome's_ blood was mixed in as well.

The Taiyoukai had a lead. The miko might still be alive.

. . . . . .

The forest was chilly today.

Winter does that. Fortunately, it made the animals bigger. Unfortunately, it made them heavier, too. The boar she was lugging around wasn't doing her any favors either.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she reached back to her home. The fire was still going strong in its pit. It was warm and cozy deep in the cave. The ground was covered with hides and furs that gave it a furry feeling. Moving the dead boar over to side of the cave, she began cutting up the meat for dinner.

Later she calls out, "Dinner time." Not rousing any response from her partner, she went over to her. "I got us a good one. Come eat." She shakes her partner. After several tries, she starts to get frantic. She keeps saying 'wake up', her pleading getting more panicked. After a while, she stops. Her partner isn't breathing. She starts a teary sob and moves away from the body.

. . . . . .

Sesshoumaru continues his walk in the forest. He was nowhere near Naraku's grave. He kept coming across the scent of Kaoru's blood in the forest. Every time he did, more blood would be found along with it.

"My lord, maybe you should stop for a short period. You should eat something my lord," Jaken says. Sesshoumaru wants to glare back at him, but he doesn't. He's _so close. _

Sesshoumaru keeps going in his direction with Jaken following him. After a while, the sound of feet and heavy breathing reaches his ears. The sound of a woman screaming reaches his ears. Jaken turns around and readies his staff. "Halt, human! You are in the presence of lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken says.

The woman slows to a stop and looks at Sesshoumaru frantically, "Not another demon. Please do not harm me. I was only trying to escape the other demon."

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman bored. She seemed to be around middle-aged with short hair; plain. Soon, the sound of more feet reached his ears. He looked up from the woman and she looked back with him. Jaken looked around the woman and gasped loudly. "_You! _Lord Sesshoumaru has been looking all over for you! Who do you think you are!" Jaken squawks. The toad is ready to let out all his irritation and anger. Now, he's on a roll. He couldn't complain to lord Sesshoumaru, but he can chew out the woman. Unfortunately, Jaken's yelling was cut short by Sesshoumaru's boot. The human woman cried out and fled the area.

"I have been searching for you," Sesshoumaru says.

"Well, you found me. What do you want?" Kaoru asks.

"Where is she?" Sesshoumaru asks. Kaoru stares at the demon lord for a while. Of course he was looking for Kagome.

"How would I know?" Kaoru asks.

"Kikyou said what transpired. You will be wise to show me to the girl," Sesshoumaru says and moves in on Kaoru. In half a second, Sesshoumaru had her by her neck. "I am not a patient man."

. . . . . . .

"I like your hair," Kagura says as she continues to brush her brother-in-law's hair. Inuyasha didn't say anything, but he kept flinching lightly when Kagura tugged on a knot. "Sesshoumaru doesn't let me groom him. I thought dogs like to be groomed."

"I can groom myself," Inuyasha says softly.

"If I leave you to do it, you won't do it," Kagura says and tugs on another knot. "I don't mind anyways. I've already done Rin and Shippou's hair. I'm bored. I want Sesshoumaru to come home."

"You miss him?" Inuyasha asks.

"Of course. I love him. Your brother is one of a kind. So are you," she says.

"I doubt it," he says.

"No, you are. I can see it. I've never met anyone else like you, Inuyasha. I'm honored to call you my brother-in-law."

"No. I mean I doubt _Sesshoumaru _is one of a kind," Inuyasha says. Kagura laughs at this and accidentally pulls too hard on his hair. Inuyasha flinches again and groans. Kagura apologizes and continues with her work.

A short while later, she speaks again. "All done." She stands and cleans out the brush. Inuyasha turns to her and opens his mouth to speak, but stops. Kagura has a blank look on her face, as if she's focusing miles away. Suddenly, she smiles widely and squeals, "_He's back!"_ Just like that, Kagura runs out of the room and leaves Inuyasha behind. The hanyou watches the door for a while and after some consideration decided to follow.

Kagura stood outside the lodge with happiness and anticipation leaking from her form. She wanted to run to him, to attack him with hugs and kisses, to say how much she missed him. But, he wouldn't like that. Sesshoumaru didn't appreciate her displaying her love for him in public. He preferred for her to show him in private, when he could show her his own.

Inuyasha stood by Kagura's side and waited with her. After a while of standing, three figures appeared. The two watched and waited to see what would happen.

'**Who are they?'**

'I can make out Sesshoumaru and Jaken, but who's the other one?'

"Kaoru?" Kagura asked. Inuyasha froze. There she was. Why was she here?

'**How dare she come near me! She must want to die!'**

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha growled. Kagura held him back with her hand on his shoulder.

"I was forced to come. There was a misunderstanding. I am not your enemy,"  
>she says.<p>

'**She lies!'**

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha. She speaks the truth," Sesshoumaru says and steps out of the tree line. Everyone turns to him as he continues toward his brother. Kagura watches him nervously. He has something wrapped in hides in his arms. Sesshoumaru stops in front of his brother and hands it to him. Inuyasha looks down at it with a stunned expression. Hesitantly, he accepts it. "She does not lie. It is time we found out the truth," Sesshoumaru says.

Inuyasha's not paying attention to him though. He's on his knees with the body in his arms. He could clearly smell the scent of the person. It was stupid of him to hope. He should have known better than to hope that _maybe _she would still be alive. He should have accepted it. Kagome was dead. Holding her limp, cold body in his arms only made it a solid truth. Slowly, Inuyasha removed the hides from her body. A new wave of sorrow and tears rolled from him.

Kagura looked at her mate in question. It couldn't be real. Sesshoumaru looked at her in question. He looked back at his brother and narrowed his eyes. "You will see your mate again," Sesshoumaru says. Kaoru gasps as Sesshoumaru unsheathes his sword.

"What are you doing!" she yells as Sesshoumaru brings down his blade. The demoness stops however when Sesshoumaru swings at nothing but air. Sesshoumaru sheaths Tenseiga and looks on.

Inuyasha watches his mate, every second filling him with hope.

'**Mate?'**

'Kagome?'

Slowly, brown eyes open to the world. The first thing they see is amber ones filled with ears staring right back.

~:~

**Moi-Moi: There we go. Kagome's alive. Yep, she was dead. Come on people. She fell off a cliff. How could anyone survive that? It would have to have been a miracle. Seriously, let's be human you guys. At least Sesshoumaru brought her back…**


	6. Promise

Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed his temples.

His brother was quickly becoming a nuisance. Inuyasha was pacing in front of him in his study. The hanyou was with his mate initially, but her need for sleep was too great. He was staying with her in their room, not leaving her side while she slept. Eventually, his mate and the Taijya had sent him out so they could clean up the miko. Now, the hanyou was pacing with a large grin and muttering to himself.

"Refrain from pacing in my presence. Go wait on your mate," Sesshoumaru says.

"I can't. Sango and Kagura won't _let _me. How long has it been?" Inuyasha asks.

"Five minutes."

"How long did they say?" Inuyasha asked his brother with a worried look.

"Fifteen minutes," Sesshoumaru repeated with a bored tone. Inuyasha growled and eyed the door to the study. He wanted to be with his mate. Even if she were only sleeping, he wanted to be by her side. He _needed _her. They had been separated for a little over a month. If he wasn't next to his mate soon…

"Fuck this," Inuyasha said and climbed out the window.

"Good riddance," Sesshoumaru muttered and went back to reading the reports his generals had sent him.

. . . . . . . .

Inuyasha peeked over the edge of the window. Inside, Kagura was dressing his mate while Sango cleaned up their supplies. There she was. She _was _awake.

'**I knew she wasn't sleeping anymore. Let's go.'**

'Kagura will hear us.'

'**Who gives a fuck? My mate is in there!'**

Just then, Kagome's head turned to the window as if she had heard his thoughts. She stared at him before smiling tiredly. He wasn't sure of it, but Inuyasha guessed he was grinning like a mad man. She laughed a little and drew Kagura's attention.

Just then, the ledge Inuyasha was leaning on gave out. The hanyou cursed as he fell backwards. He could hear his mate's call and some gasps as he fell. He landed on the ground and just laid there.

'_Getting sat is worse.'_

A few seconds later, and his mate was at his side. He looked up her worried face as she began checking him over. Everyone else filed out of the house to see what had happened. Inuyasha could see Sesshoumaru peek out a window before looking away and leaving the window. "Are you alright?" Kagome asked.

"Fine, just _fine," _Inuyasha says and sits up.

"Papa, are you okay? What happened?" Shippou asked with a red crayon in his hand. Kagome watched Shippou with a curious gaze. She didn't know Shippou referred to Inuyasha in such a way.

"I'm fine pup," Inuyasha said and ruffled the kit's hair.

"When did this happen?" Kagome asked with a smile. She was happy to see Inuyasha and Shippou getting along so well. She never thought these too could get along. Maybe there was hope for her family yet.

"A long time ago, Mama," Shippou said and moved onto the miko's lap. He began telling her stories in a way only a child could. Inuyasha listened as Shippou spoke. He didn't know the kit saw things so differently. He didn't remember seeing things that way when he was a pup. "I can hunt, too! It's fun. I can show you how, if you want."

'_I don't remember hunting to be fun.'_

'**It was a necessity. We didn't hunt, we couldn't eat.'**

"Let's all go inside. It's time for some lunch," Kagura says.

. . . . . . . .

Kagome laid on her mate and listened to his heartbeat. She played with beads of enchantment idly with a small smile on her face. The warmth from his bare chest was radiating through her face. Inuyasha laid with an arm around his mate and a content smile on his face. She was at his side again. It wasn't some sick dream. It was real.

"I missed this," he says.

"I'd imagine. Kagura told me about what happened to you. I hope you never have to get like that again," she answers.

"I won't. I'm not letting you go again."

"I'm glad," she says and sighs. "I'm grateful to Kaoru and Sesshoumaru. It's thanks to them that I'm here again."

"I don't understand something. Well, a lot of things. Kikyou said that Kaoru tried to kill you, but that can't be true. Right?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome sat up and looked down at her mate. "What?" she asked.

"Kikyou said that Kaoru tried to kill you, but she got away. Then, she tried to save you, but you slipped and fell off the cliff," Inuyasha answered with a questioning stare. Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a while before sitting up.

_She lied. She tried to kill me and she lied about it. That bitch! She tried to kill me and take my place! _

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asks and touches her shoulder.

"Inuyasha, where is Kikyou?" Kagome asks and looks at him with a determined look.

"I don't know. She only comes around in the day time. Why?" he asks. Inuyasha watches with a confused stare as Kagome gets out of bed in her sleeping yukata and mutters to herself angrily. She leaves the room and the hanyou follows her. "Kagome, where are you going?"

"To kill a bitch. What's it look like!" Kagome yells. Her yelling wakes the demons in the lodge and lights begin to go on. Kagome, however, doesn't care. She's furious. Right now, the only thing on her mind is confronting Kikyou. She wasn't sure what she was going to do exactly, but her anger would be a good guide.

"Kagome! What happened!" Inuyasha asks her as he follows Kagome outside.

"What is the meaning of this, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asks and steps outside with Kagura by his side. The Taiyoukai looks to the Miko in question. Kagome looks at all of them with a glare.

"She _lied! _Kikyou's no _hero! _She's the bitch who tried to kill me _again! _She never shot Kaoru to _save me. _She shot Kaoru and Kaoru ran off. Then, she pushed me off the cliff. Kaoru was still in the area and she saved me. She's been going around pretending that she's a _saint!_? I lost my life because of her!" Kagome yelled with her face as red as a tomato. The amount of anger in her system was inconceivable.

"What!" Kagura yells. Sesshoumaru remained silent. Inuyasha was stunned.

'**I'm gonna kill that bitch!'**

'She killed Kagome? Why?'

'**Isn't it obvious? Because she's a jealous bitch! Where is she! There'll be nothing left of her when I'm through.'**

"Now is not the time for this. You may be feeling rage at the moment, but now is not the time. You were recently returned your life. Do not be foolish and waste it going after the priestess. Now, we must return inside and think this through," Sesshoumaru said in a calm voice. Kagome watched him with an incredulous look. He didn't seriously expect her to sit back while her murderer was out there? Then, she looked at Inuyasha. He was staring at her with a pleading look. He didn't want her to go out there, at least not now. _When did the roles get reversed? Now he has to stop me from running head-first into a fight? _

"I don't want to sit back and do nothing," Kagome says.

"You won't sit back and do nothing. We don't know where she is. First, let's find that out. Then, you can do what you feel you should do," Inuyasha says and pulls her to him. Kagome remains still as he holds her to him. After sometime, reason won out.

Kagome sighs and says, "Fine. I'll wait. But, she better not come anywhere _near _us or I'll kill her **myself**. And that's a _promise_."

**~:~**

**Moi-Moi: You a bad girl and your friend's bad, too… Lol. :) Hope you guys like it! For the next few chapters, we'll see… come to think of it…For the **_**rest of the story**_**, we'll see Kagome and Kikyou butting heads. Let me tell you from now, Kagome won't be afraid to throw a punch in Kikyou's perfect face… ;) **

**KagInuReader: Catfight?**

**Moi-Moi: More like Kagome kicking ass and Kikyou cheating with concealed weapons.**

**KagInuReader: Don't tell them!**

**Moi-Moi: Oh… Um… SPOILER ABOVE!^^ There. I warned them.**

**KagInuReader: -_-**


	7. No Longer Welcome

**Moi-Moi: I AM SOOOOO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE YOU GUYS! BUT, I PROMISE TO DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE. AND, HAVE I EVER BROKEN A PROMISE? ;)**

Chapter 6

Kagome sat in the meadow with a faraway look. Somehow, it didn't surprise her anymore that Kikyou was really a vindictive bitch who wanted to steal her life. Did she really think it would work? Did she really think she could take Kagome's place? How could she? Even though Kikyou was alive, she was still a cold, evil woman. Kagome used to feel terrible about speaking badly about others. But now, she didn't care. Kikyou had crossed the line when she did what she did.

Unfortunately, Kagome's thoughts were cut short when something small collided with the back of her head. "Shippou, what are you doing?" Kagome asks.

"You knew it was me?" he asks and gets down.

"Of course. You were hiding in that bush for quite some time now," Kagome says with a laugh. At the kit's disappointed face, she pulled him close and rubbed his hair. "It's okay, Shippou. You can always try again."

"Okay, Kagome," he says and moves away from her and to some nearby flowers. Kagome sat and watched him for a second before she picked up another's presence. It was too late, however. Before she knew it, the miko was attacked and pinned down by her own mate.

"I got her," he says to Shippou.

"But you're bigger than me Papa. That's not fair," Shippou says with a pout.

"It is too fair. I'm just better than you at this," he says and climbs off Kagome. The miko doesn't move. She looks up at her mate with a disbelieving look. He was using her for target practice with their son? Inuyasha peered down at Kagome and asked, "What?"

"Nothing Inuyasha. But, could you at least tell me when you're going to attack me?" she asks.

"Then it wouldn't be fun," he says and stands. Oh boy.

. . . . . . . . .

Kagome was officially on high alert and on edge.

Every second, either Shippou or Inuyasha would attack her from some bush. Shippou, she could handle. The kit often gave himself away. But, Inuyasha was another story. He would sneak up quietly as ever and he always managed to keep from getting caught. Then, he pounced. But that wasn't the worst part. Once the hanyou had her pinned down… well, she was quite vulnerable to his advances.

"Kagome." The girl screamed loudly and turned around. She had her shoe in her hand and was pointing at her silent and unknown companion. Inuyasha raised both hands in silent submission. A small grin was on his face. "I thought I should let you know that Kagura is almost finished with dinner."

"Oh, well. T-thank you, Inuyasha," Kagome says and puts back on her shoes. How embarrassing. The girl struggled to slip on the shoes and hopped around trying to do so.

"Need help?" she heard Inuyasha ask with amusement.

"No. I got it," she says. Before Kagome knew it, Inuyasha was standing behind her with her hand in his. He guided the shoe onto her foot and stepped around her.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really. I'm constantly on high alert with you and Shippou. Can we at least set up a schedule for when you're going to use me for practice?" she asks.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you, I'm putting the pup back on Jaken. He can't sneak up on you to save his life. For now, you're safe from him. But, _me _on the other hand," he says and lets the statement hang in the air.

"Funny, Inuyasha," she stays and begins to walk back to the lodge. However, Inuyasha was faster.

'**Finally!'**

'Why did we wait so long for this?'

'**I told you. We should have mated days ago.'**

The hanyou was currently invading his mate's mouth with his own tongue. His large hands found their way up to her head and angled in her hair. Kagome was powerless to his attention. Her own hands wound around his neck and locked while pulling him closer. Just as Inuyasha released her from his kiss, one of his hands gently pulled back her head to reveal her slender neck. His mouth was on it in seconds. A low moan escaped Kagome as he sucked and nipped on her pulse point. Inuyasha could feel his youkai trying to take over. After battling internally with it, he slowly let him out.

The now full demon Inuyasha backed Kagome into a nearby tree. A low growl was building up in his chest as his right hand found its way into Kagome's kimono and onto her right breast. Kagome's breath hitched as her back arched off the tree's bark. Up until now, her eyes had been closed. But, she opened them and stared at Inuyasha's bright red eyes with cerulean pupils. A wicked smirk broke out on his face. Before she could comment, he captured her lips in another heated kiss.

Kagome felt her legs slowly melt away beneath her. She was sure that if it weren't for Inuyasha holding her up, she would collapse under him. But, she had to put a stop to this. In the middle of the forest against a tree wasn't the place for them to do this. It seemed so… _primal_. Kagome tried to say something, but instead it came out as a loud moan. Her own body was encouraging him.

"I was sent to retrieve you, but I shall let you finish."

Kagome pulls away immediately from Inuyasha and pulls her kimono closed. Her faces heats up and she stutters an apology. Inuyasha glares at his brother, now back to his hanyou self.

"We're coming now," Kagome says. Sesshoumaru walks back to the lodge and Kagome takes Inuyasha's hand before leading him back. Damn older brothers.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Kikyou stood in the middle of a grass-covered clearing with a cold face. It was the middle of the night and a chilly one at that. Kikyou didn't go back to Sesshoumaru's lodge that night. Kagome was back. Most likely, the miko had told everyone the truth.

"You have a lot of nerve staying so close to my family," Kagome says as she steps into the clearing. Kikyou turns to her with a cold glare. Kagome glared right back with her arms folded. Kikyou noticed Inuyasha's robe of the Fire rat around Kagome.

"How smart do you think it was to come here without any weapons?" Kikyou asked.

"You tried to kill me twice. Why wouldn't you try it again?" Kagome says. "I just came here to let you know that no matter what you've already done to me, I'm not going to stoop down to your level. However, if you _ever _come near my family again it will be the last mistake you ever make."

"Is that a threat?" Kikyou asks with a humorless laugh.

"No. It's a promise, you heartless bitch," Kagome says. Kikyou's smile drops and glares at Kagome again. "You better hope it's me who catches you, too. Anyone else won't be as merciful in their punishments."

"You consider yourself merciful?"

"Yes. I realize that you're just an empty shell of the woman you use to be. You're just having a difficult time realizing that no man wants you. And, that the only man who wants you now is dead."

Kikyou glared at Kagome even harder before turning her back to her. Kagome's words had stung. Mostly, because they were true. Now that Naraku was dead, was there really no man alive that would want her the way she wanted to be wanted? "Good bye Kagome. But do not assume that this is the last time we will see each other. If you have a sliver of intelligence in that empty head of yours, you will watch yourself around Inuyasha. Let us hope for your sake that he does not impregnate you and possibly take away your purity and purification powers," Kikyou says with a small amount of humor.

"That fact that you still think of Inuyasha as impure says so much about you. He's more pure than you'll ever be," Kagome says. Kikyou was instantly stunned into silence. She turned back around, but Kagome was gone. Was she really there? Or was she a figment of Kikyou's imagination? Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. It was time to leave. There were a few people Kikyou needed to visit…

~:~

**Moi-Moi: Okay, this is where the rising action starts picking up. Now, we will see why this is a Kagome & Kikyou fic. **

**KagInuReader: Kikyou's one dark chick…**

**Moi-Moi: I know right? It fits so well with the evil villain role. DANCING IN THE DARK! WHOOOO! OH-LA LA! OH-LA LA! OH-LA LA! OH-LA LA! DANCING IN THE DARK!**

**KagInuReader: No more dance music for you…. Review you guys! :))**


	8. She'll Get Hers

Chapter 7

"It feels so good to be going home," Kagome says and stretches her arms above her head. Inuyasha fixes her bag on his shoulder and stares at her fixedly. She turns to him questioningly, but he just smirks at her. Sensing where his thoughts were headed, the young girl blushed and looked away.

"It was nice having you all. Don't be strangers, okay?" Kagura says and hold Kagome's hands in her own.

"I'm gonna miss you Shippou," Rin says with a sad look and pulls the kitsune into a tight embrace.

"I'll miss you, too," Shippou squeaks with the small amount of air he has.

"We'll see you soon. Good bye, Sesshoumaru. Thank you for everything you've done," Kagome says. The Taiyoukai nods once to her, but remains quiet.

"Good bye!" Rin yells while waving both her arms. The Inutachi wave back as they leave Sesshoumaru's lodge behind and head to Musashi.

"It was nice to take a break. And just think; it will be like this for the rest of our lives," Kagome says with a content smile. She slips her hand into Inuyasha's and he squeezes it in reassurance.

"Yep. Now is the time for us to truly settle down, my dearest. About those twenty children…" Miroku says with a sly look.

"Don't think I won't keep you in line, Monk. Just focus on one thing at a time," Sango says with a slight blush. Miroku puts his arm around her waist and attempt to kiss her. Kagome laughs at the couple while Shippou sticks out his tongue at the PDA. "You wouldn't think it were funny if the tables were turned, Kagome."

"But, that's not the case," Kagome singsongs and winks at the Taijya.

"I can change that," Inuyasha says and grabs the girl by her waist.

"That's _okay. _I'm fine, Inuyasha," Kagome says. She really was more than fine. Inuyasha had kept her up last night with _very preoccupying activities_. Kagome was sure that she didn't need to have sex for the rest of her life.

"What makes you say that, Kagome-sama? Have you had your fill of hanyou already?" Miroku asks in his perverted tone. Sango elbows him in the ribs and glares at him.

"_Damn straight_," Inuyasha mutters into the miko's neck. Judging by the way Sango was blushing madly and Miroku was giving her a knowing, perverted look, Kagome guessed that they had heard him. Why couldn't the Earth swallow her up?

. . . . . . . .

Kikyou waited patiently for her new apprentices to arrive.

Kagome had issued her a warning; one that Kikyou would not stand. This was not the end. The girl may feel brave, but it was obvious that she needed someone to knock her down a few pegs. No, she would not get away with the _crimes_ she was committed.

"Are you alright?" a voice asks into the night. The man runs to her and kneels by her back. Kikyou moans weakly and turns to him. Yes. It's the young man she had chosen. He looked to be about 18. He had short hair, like the monk. He was just a regular villager, but Kikyou thought he would be most beneficial. "Who did this to you?" he asks delicately.

"It-it was a witch," Kikyou mumbles and coughs. The priestess was bleeding and looked quite pale.

"Come. I shall heal you," he says and lifts Kikyou's limp body.

"T-thank you," Kikyou says. Inwardly, Kikyou smirked. Everything was going according to plan. Kagome _would _get hers.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**Moi-Moi: God, what a sucky Christmas gift... I'm so sorry guys. This is late. I know. Yell at me for it. Also, it's not that great. But, I let myself get preoccupied. I have no idea when or if I'll finish this story. I just don't have the drive for fanfiction that I used to. I'm really gonna try to get back into it, but until then bear with me here. I want to thank you all in advance for sticking with me so far. I don't want to give this up. This would be a pretty sucky place to end it all… -_-**


	9. The Cat's Out The Bag

Chapter 8

**Moi-Moi: Hey yall! I'm going to try again. I realized that there are people out there who want to see this story get finished. How can I disappoint you Kikyou-Haters out there? Also, I plan to do at least one update every month. Let's see how long I can last at it…**

**~:~  
><strong>

"Did you tell them what happened?" Kagome asks as she looks down the well. Inuyasha looks up at her and shakes his head in the negative. "Why not?" Kagome asks.

"It never really crossed my mind," Inuyasha says. Kagome sighs a little before looking back up the ladder.

"At least they didn't have to go through the mourning. That's a good thing. Right?" Kagome asks. She looks back down at Inuyasha, but he was already moving. Kagome let out a squeal as he lifted her onto his shoulder and out of the well.

"Another second of that and I would have gone crazy," Inuyasha mumbles.

"What?" Kagome asks and fixes her short kimono. She looks up at him with a curious look and Inuyasha sighs at her.

"You're such a tease," he says. He holds her face in his hands before placing a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go," he says. Kagome watches him leave the well house before sighing and following him. '_I give up.' _

"Mama! We're home!" Kagome yells loudly as she enters the house. The two ears upon Inuyasha's head instinctively flatted to block out the yelling.

"_I'm in the kitchen dear!" _a feminine voice yelled back. Kagome took Inuyasha's clawed hand and pulled him into the kitchen after her.

"Hi, mama," Kagome says. The middle aged woman turns around and wipes her wet hands on the front of her apron. She has a pleasant smile on her that emphasized the wrinkles in her soft face.

"It's wonderful to see you dear. Inuyasha-kun it's nice to see you visit too. It's been too long," Mama Higurashi answers. Kagome left Inuyasha's side and went to embrace her mother. The two shared a long hug while Inuyasha stood back awkwardly. "Don't just stand there Inuyasha-kun. Get over here and hug me." Doing what he was told, the hanyou lightly embraced Kagome's mother.

"Where are Souta and Jii-chan?" Kagome asks.

"You're grandfather went to the doctor and Souta went with him. I didn't even have to force him to go. He went willingly. It's strange. Jii-chan is usually so stubborn about going to the doctor," Mama Higurashi says with a shrug. Kagome laughs a little and smiles at her other.

"I missed you Mama," Kagome says.

"I missed you too sweetie; _both _of you," she says.

"Mama…there's something we have to talk about. It's really important," Kagome says and wrings her hands. Kagome keeps her eyes away from her mother when she says this. This rouses Mama Higurashi's suspicion. The mother looked from her daughter, to the young man she considered a son, and back to her daughter.

"Okay? What is it Kagome?" she asks.

"Let's sit down. This is pretty big," Kagome says.

. . . . . . . .

"I can't believe this," Mama Higurashi says and stares astonished at the dining table. Her daughter had died. Died! She had been dead for about a month and she hadn't known. On top of it all, she finds out her daughter was "mated" to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's ex- had killed Kagome….

Inuyasha had slipped into depression from it…

Mama Higurashi looked back up at the young couple across the bale from her with her mouth agape. How could she not have known? Maybe all this time in the feudal era wasn't best. She had been lenient with Kagome. She had let her go back and fight these demons and evil creatures. But, where did it get her? Killed. That's where it got her.

"Mama? What's wrong?" Kagome asks nervously.

"Kagome, I'm not sure if I can allow you to go back to the feudal era after this. I mean this is too much. I was lenient with you because I believed that you were with good hands and I thought I could trust you, but look what happens.

"You go off and get mated first of all. Did you even ask me about this? Did you even think how I would feel? Kagome you're _fifteen! _Then, you get yourself kidnapped and killed!" Mama Higurashi exploded.

"Mother!" Kagome exclaimed. What was wrong with her mother? Inuyasha watched the woman with a mix of sadness, regret, and fear. Would she forbid Kagome from seeing him? Would she try to take Kagome away from him?

"Don't '_mother_' me Kagome. Don't you see how serious this is? You died! I'm sorry Kagome. But, you're not allowed to go back. I can't lose you. You're my only daughter; my little girl. I need you here where I can keep an eye on you," Mama Higurashi says with a stern face. Kagome's jaw drops as she stares at her mother with a disbelieving look.

"You can't do that! Mother please! You have to understand! The feudal era is my home!" Kagome yells.

"Kagome don't you understand! I won't lose you again. I promised myself I would let you take care of your responsibilities. This _Naraku _person is dead. They don't need you anymore."

"But mom! The jewel shards!"

"I'm sure Inuyasha can find them on his _own," _Mama Higurashi said with finality in her voice. Kagome looked at the hanyou then. She was just realizing that he had been silent this whole time. Inuyasha only stared back at her with a sad look. "I won't forbid you from seeing him. Inuyasha you are still welcome here. It is the least I owe you for the many times you risked your life for my daughter's."

"Thank you," Inuyasha says and looks at the woman. Kagome looks at both of them with even more disbelief. She growls loudly before slamming her hands down onto the table. Then, she stood at once and left them alone.

"Kagome!" Mama Higurashi yelled after her daughter. She watched as Inuyasha followed after her. A wave of guilt and regret hit the woman. Was she doing the right thing? Was it wrong of her to worry? She was only doing what any mother would do.

. . . . . . . . . .

The next morning, Kagome woke to warmth wrapped around her. She wriggled a bit, but was restricted. After some time, she managed to turn around. She came face to face with a snoozing Inuyasha. How was he still asleep? She thought he would have woken up by now. A happy grin makes its way to her face as she untangles herself from his embrace.

Her mother had been unrelenting. She still refused to let the young girl go back to the past. But, after many hours of thinking it over, Kagome saw it from her mother's eyes. Although she did not like her choice, it was what any mother would do. But, Kagome still felt betrayed. It felt like her own mother didn't trust her anymore. But of course, it wasn't that she didn't trust Kagome. It was that she didn't trust _Kikyou. _If she could kill once, she could do it again.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asks his mate softly. Kagome looked over at him and nodded in the affirmative.

"I'm alright I guess."

"You're not mad at me are you?"

"No. You were only being respectful. I should be proud of you. Maybe I _have_ taught you something. At least she didn't forbid us from seeing each other," Kagome says with a small smile.

"Even if she had, I still would have snuck over here. The old man's fake ofuda can't keep me away from you," Inuyasha says and pulls Kagome to him. The girl giggles lightly as he nuzzles her neck.

"You know, if my mom catches us like this, she might just forbid you from seeing me," Kagome joked. He answered her but it was a muffled reply. But she was sure that he was expressing his lack of caring with a few curses added in. Kagome rolled her eyes and tweaked his ear.

"We need to get ready. We're going shopping today," Kagome says. Inuyasha lets out a loud groan and Kagome giggles at him.

~~ ((Shopping 2:00)) ~~

Kagome rushed about the grocery store while chatting animatedly. Inuyasha followed after her with an amused look on his face. He didn't speak. He only watched her as she spoke and asked questions about her choices. He preferred to watch her anyways. She was wearing the same light blue dress she had worn all those months ago. He can still remember her way back when she somehow got back to the feudal era after he sent her back and took the jewel shards. She had been worried…about him.

"What about these? I think they're nice," Kagome comments and looks at some sort of produce. Inuyasha doesn't answer her but she picks them up anyway. He on the other hand was wearing a red bandana over his ears, a red tee, and jeans. Kagome had even gotten him to wear shoes. He wasn't too fond of these sneakers, but it made her happy. "I think that's it."

"You said that thirty minutes ago," Inuyasha remarked dryly. Kagome looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Wait! I need to get some more flour!" Kagome says and walks off. With a heavy sigh, Inuyasha follows after her. In the back of his mind, he recognizes several scents nearby. But, Kagome was moving out of sight so he followed after her. It probably wasn't important…

~~ (At Home 5:00) ~~

"You sure you bought enough stuff?" Inuyasha asks with amusement in his tone. Kagome looks at him, ready to answer. When she saw his teasing look, she stuck her tongue out at him instead.

"Meanie. Keep this up and you won't get dinner," Kagome says. She shuts the door behind her and heads up to her room. Inuyasha follows after her quickly up the stairs.

"Don't be so mean Kagome," Inuyasha says and hugs her from behind. Kagome rolls her eyes. This was the full-demon talking. When he started to kiss her neck and nibble up her jaw line, her eyes closed and she bared her neck to allow him better access. His hand slips under her shirt slowly and begins to caress her flat stomach.

Then, Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha. She could see the confusion in his eyes, but she smirked wickedly at him. She pulled him over to her bed before pushing him back onto it. Inuyasha looked up at her with a curious look. Kagome was over him in a second. She began straddling him just before grabbing his shirt collar and covering his mouth with hers.

The kiss was heated and passionate. Both could tell where this was heading. Slowly, Inuyasha's hand moved up her thigh and disappeared under her dress. Kagome let out a moan before her hands moved down to the zipper of his jeans.

"_Kagome! Are you in here!"_ a feminine voice called out. Both teens pulled away from each other before turning to the door. "Oh my God! We're so sorry! Your mom let us in. We just came up," Yuka said and looked away. She backed away with Eri and Ayumi leaving behind her. The three girls left them alone. Kagome climbed off Inuyasha before looking back at him with a red face.

Inuyasha got off the bed before fixing his pants. Kagome fixed her hair and clothes the best she could before clearing her throat. She looked up at Inuyasha again and froze. '_Where's his bandana!'_

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Where's your bandana?" Kagome asks and points to his ears. The hanyou feels atop his head before his eyes goes wide.

"Shit," Inuyasha curses.

"Yeah. What you said," Kagome says.

~~ ((Later…8:00)) ~~

"So, you're dating a half-demon?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess," Kagome says and chuckles nervously. Inuyasha was sitting on the floor next to her with Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi sitting across from them. Ayumi kept staring at his ears, Eri kept asking stupid questions, and Yuka kept giving him weird looks.

"How long have you two known each other?" Ayumi asks with a cautious smile. Inuyasha's right ear twitches and her eyes go wide. He notices a sort of happiness in them and smirks.

'**So the onna likes my ears?'**

'Don't even think about it. Leave the girl alone. Don't you think finding out about all this is enough?'

'**Nope.'**

Just like that, the right ear twitched again. This time, he had Yuka's attention. He twitches both of them. Inuyasha can hear a silent squeal from Ayumi.

'**Isn't this hilarious! Look at them! Hah!'**

'No. Kagome won't like you messing with her friends.'

'**She won't care. I'm just playing with them. You'd understand if you had ears like mine.'**

'Asshole.'

"So, does this mean that you're not a virgin anymore Kagome?" Eri asks. The room went silent. '_Oh boy. Why didn't I say his ears were fake? Why didn't I say he was a cosplayer!'_

"Can I get you girls anything?" Mama Higurashi asks as she enters the room. She starts cleaning up the empty cups on the table before leaving to refill them.

"I still can't believe you fooled us for so long," Eri mutters.

"Don't worry bout that. It wasn't that hard," Inuyasha says with a bored look. Kagome quickly elbowed him in the ribs for it. "What?" he asks her.

'**It's not my fault her friends are retarded and clueless…'**

'_Nice. Now she's pissed at us.'_

'She's not pissed at me.'

'**Quit bein' an ass kisser. As far as she knows, you thought it too.'**

'This is unfair. I get blamed for you two idiots mistakes. I need my own body again…'

**~:~**

**Moi-Moi: I'm sorry you guys. But, I'm running low on inspiration right now. Motivation, I have. Inspiration, I lack. So, let me know how you guys feel. Hate Kikyou? Love Kagome? Hate Urasuei for causing all this? Love Inuyasha's demon side? Let me know!**

**Review. **

**You know you want to.**

**The button's right down there…**


	10. Kikyou Strikes Back

Chapter 9

"How are you feeling?" the young man asks and wipes the dirt and grime away from Kikyou's pale skin. The priestess looks at him with grateful and dying eyes.

"Better thanks to you, Matsu. Thank you again for all that you've done. I didn't know if I would have made it out of there alive if it were not for you," Kikyou says and ends her speech with a dying cough.

"What witch did this to you?" the young man asks urgently. He grabs hold of Kikyou's frail hand and strokes it lovingly.

"It was a young witch. She goes about killing young women for their souls. She tried to kill me as well. She got a good portion of my soul but when you got near, she ran off. She has looks like me as well," Kikyou says.

"She will pay for what she's done. I promise."

"No," Kikyou says and groans weakly. "I can't allow you to go after her. She has an apprentice; a half-demon. He is under her control. I am afraid what will happen to you if I allow you to go after her."

"Let me avenge you Kikyou," Matsu says with determination set in his eyes. Kikyou looks up at him and stares into his eyes. Eventually, she relents to his wishes. When he smiles lightly as her and continues to clean her off, Kikyou looks away from him. Kikyou mentally smiled in evil gLee. Matsu was desperate to go after Kagome and "avenge" Kikyou. But, Matsu would be killed if she let him go alone. He was too weak. Well, she would just have to fix that.

. . . . . . . . . .

Inuyasha felt his eyes droop close as he let out another jaw splitting yawn. Kagome was at school so there was nothing particularly 'fun' to entertain the hanyou. The only others in the house were Kagome's mother and the old man.

Inuyasha was avoiding the jiji. He had found out about his and Kagome's relationship and wasn't pleased. Ms. Higurashi and Kagome both assured him that it was due to a natural protectiveness that he felt for his granddaughter, not that he hated half-demons.

Kagome's mother would embarrass him. She insisted on knowing everything. When were they getting her grandchildren? How many grandchildren? It was embarrassing to say the least. Inuyasha had never even thought about pups. They had Shippou. But to actually have their own pups…

'**Sounds like a wonderful idea.'**

'Children with Kagome? A family of my own?'

'**They'd most likely be half-demon ningen.'**

'_How could they be hanyou?'_

'**Because they'd be mine! Dumbass.'**

'Why do you get to be the one to impregnate Kagome!'

'_Yeah. If anything, it should be me. I've known her longest.'_

'**But she loves me more. Besides, a quarter-demon pup? I don't think so.'**

'Then what about an all human one?'

'**With a half-breed father? Don't be a dumbass.'**

Inuyasha sighed and tuned out the argument that was forming between his two counterparts. Why did they insist on fighting about everything? Couldn't they coexist peacefully inside his head?

. . . . . . . . . .

"Kagome, do you know how lucky you are? Ugh, I should get a boyfriend from five hundred years in the past," Eri sighs. The four girls were currently walking home from a tiring day of learning. Yuka nodded in agreement with Eri.

"Does Inuyasha have a brother?" Yuka asks.

"He does. He has an older brother, but I don't think you're his type," Kagome says and looks at her friend.

"What does _that_ mean?" Yuka asked, offended.

"It means that you're not his type. Sesshoumaru's not the friendliest guy out there. He's proud, arrogant, cold, serious, calculating, and besides he's taken," Kagome says, ticking off his description on her fingers.

"Seriously? He has a girlfriend?" Eri asked now.

"More like a wife and child," Kagome answers. A mental picture of Kagura and Rin flashed in her mind and Kagome felt herself smile. But when the thought that she was forbidden from ever seeing them again crossed her mind, her smile fell. Fortunately, her friends didn't notice this.

"I'm just glad for you Kagome. No one deserves this more than you. We know what you went through and we're all really happy for you," Ayumi says.

"Yep. Which reminds me, do you and Inuyasha want to come over for a party tomorrow night?" Yuka asks. Kagome looks at her friend with her jaw hanging. '_A party?'_

"What kind of party? What are we celebrating?" Kagome asks.

"We're celebrating my parents being out of the house. They're gone for the weekend and I'm inviting everyone I know. It'll be big. You have to come," Yuka says and latches onto Kagome's arm. Kagome looks at her friend before chuckling nervously.

"Kagome you can't ditch us now. I'm sure you and Inuyasha barely spend any time out in public. Besides, it'll be a good thing that you do. It'll finally give Hojo the message that you're taken," Eri says.

"_Please_ come Kagome," Ayumi begs with puppy dog eyes. Kagome looks at her friends one at a time. She got a mix of determined, knowing, and pleading looks.

"Maybe we can stop by for an hour or two," Kagome says and smiles nervously. _'Inuyasha won't like this.'_

"Good. Had better," Yuka says and leads Kagome down the road and towards the sunset shrine. Kagome let out a sigh before closing her eyes. Inuyasha won't like being forced out one bit. Especially since he won't know anyone at the party. With blaring music, loud guests, and less the pleasing smells that only he could smell, Inuyasha wasn't going to enjoy his time too much. Kagome would just have to work extra hard to help him enjoy it. And who better than her to do that?

. . . . . . . . .

"I'm ready to do this for you Kikyou-sama," Matsu says and kneels before the dark priestess. Could she even be called pure anymore? After everything she had done, how could she sleep with herself? She had killed her own re-incarnation. She had taken a mother from her son and mate. Inuyasha nearly killed himself for her. That thought sickened Kikyou.

How could Inuyasha feel any emotion other than irritation towards her? More importantly, how had Kagome done it? How had she fooled Inuyasha into believing that what he thought he felt was love? There was no way Inuyasha could love her. How could he? Inuyasha was in love with her. That much was obvious.

How could he _not _love Kikyou? Kikyou had been there for him before Kagome's great-grandfather was even born! Kikyou had put in time and work into Inuyasha. She had spent so much time working on him. He was _her _project. How dare Kagome step in and destroy all her work! Inuyasha would have been an elderly human man by now if Naraku had not first intervened. But, she could have fixed what was left of their love once she came back. But, seeing Kagome with Inuyasha had confused her.

"Matsu, do you think I am appealing to look at?" Kikyou asked out of the blue. The young man stuttered before blushing heavily. Kikyou smirked to herself. Now, why could she not do this to Inuyasha anymore?

"Uh…yes. You are quite beautiful Kikyou-sama," Matsu says. Kikyou gives him a coy smile before going to him. She waited for him to stand before placing a small peck to his check. She stood back to survey her work. Just as she thought, Matsu was staring at her shocked with a face the color of Inuyasha' robes.

"Have you ever been with a woman before Matsu?" Kikyou asks.

"No, I have not. Why do you ask?" Matsu answers.

"Because I have not been with a man either. We really are one of a kind," Kikyou says with a soft voice. She strokes her fingers on his upper arm before pulling it away.

"A-are you saying what I think you are Kikyou-sama?" Matsu asks. He can feel his heart rate picking up and hear it hammering away in his ears. Kikyou-sama was a beautifully stunning woman. Matsu had found himself watching her, thinking about her, as well as fantasizing about the young woman. Matsu was on his way to falling head over heels for the priestess.

"What do you think I am saying Matsu-kun?" Kikyou asked with her eyes wide and curious. Matsu swallowed loudly. Now, Matsu wasn't an ugly man. He wasn't as attractive as Inuyasha in Kikyou's eyes, but he wasn't ugly. He had short light brown hair, ivory skin, and was slightly taller than herself. He had an average build but he had some baby fat on his face as well.

"I think that…" Matsu says and looks down at his feet. When he hears a light giggle, he looks up at Kikyou at once. Did she think he was a fool? She probably did. Why would a woman as beautiful as her care for someone as plain as him?

"All in due time, Matsu-kun," Kikyou says and smiles at him pleasantly. "But, first I need you to do something for me."

"What is it! Anything!" he says anxiously. If it would get him in Kikyou-sama's good graces, he would race around the whole world!

"Do you remember the dark witch I told you about? The one that had injured me so greatly? Well, I am going to seek her out. I want my revenge. But, I'm not sure if I will survive this journey. You see, the witch possesses a half-demon. She uses him as her body guard," Kikyou says and begins to walk back to her seat on the wooden floor.

"But, he is only a half-demon. What can he do?" Matsu asked dubiously. He doubted any half-breed could be _that_ much trouble.

"He is more trouble than you would think. He is even more dangerous since he is under her control. She takes joy in controlling others. She also possesses a Taijya and Houshi. She forces them to protect her."

"Then, let me go in your place Kikyou-sama!" Matsu urges. Kikyou couldn't have said it better herself.

Holding back a sneaky grin, Kikyou says, "But I would be sending you to you death! I could not do that to you. Not after all you have done for me. You have housed me in your home, tended to me, and fed me the food from your table. I could not."

"But I can. And I will. You must let me do this for you Kikyou-sama. I would happily die for you," Matsu says and takes her small hand in his. Kikyou nearly cried out in glee. "What exactly do you wish e to do? Would you rather I bring you the witch or kill her myself?"

"I think you are getting ahead of yourself Matsu-kun. How will you stand up to the hanyou, monk, and Taijya? It would be too much for one human to handle alone," Kikyou says. She looks into her eyes with a pleading look; one that she had seen Kagome use on Inuyasha. It seemed to work for her…

"I could pretend to be asking for help. I could pretend to be injured or something. I would only need to get close to them Kikyou-sama. Once I am close enough, I can take care of the witch for you. I would not want you to sully your sweet hands with such filth," Matsu says. Kikyou pretends to enjoy his flirting and giggles like a young girl would.

Yes. Now, it was done. It mattered not what happened to Matsu. All that mattered was that he distracts Inuyasha long enough. Maybe if he did it right, the monk and demon slayer would not even be there. But she could not leave it to chance.

"You cannot go rushing blindly in Matsu-kun. I wouldn't want you to get her. The hanyou can be quite wild. You must not seem like a threat until you are alone with her. Do you understand?" Kikyou says delicately.

"Yes, Kikyou-sama. I understand," he says with a firm voice.

"Good. Once you return to me, we can go on with our lives without a hitch. I_ promise _you," Kikyou says. If she weren't so busy running her hands through the young man's hair, she would have pat herself on the back for that display. She truly had him where she wanted. Kagome prepare yourself.

. . . . . . . . .

"Inuyasha-kun! Can you come down here for a minute! I need to speak with you!" Inuyasha heard Kagome's mother call out to him. His thought train cut short, Inuyasha rose up off Kagome's pink bed and went downstairs. Once he reached the bottom of the staircase, he spotted Kagome's mother smiling at him with what looked like clothing in her arms.

"What's all that for?" he asked with slight nervousness in his voice. He pointed to the clothes and she smiled wider.

"We're going out. Kagome just called. She said that she's going shopping with her friends and won't be here until nightfall. Her friend Yuka is having a party tomorrow night and she went to help prepare. So, I'm taking you out to get some clothes for the party," Mama Higurashi says.

"Party? I'm going?" Inuyasha asked. Is this some kind of joke?

"Yes. Kagome wants to go with you. And I'm sure it would make her very happy to spend some time with you and her friends. She could use some fun. Also, if you were to look nice it would make the evening all the more enjoyable for her. And I'm sure you would like to see her happy," Mama Higurashi says with a smirk. She knew she had the hanyou. "Now, go change and we'll head out. And you have to put on some shoes Inuyasha-kun."

Inuyasha watched the middle-aged woman for some time before taking the garments. He grumbled the whole way before leaving to change. But, if Kagome could be happy maybe it was worth it. Besides, how bad could a party be? He had gone up against some of the strongest demons ever and won. A stupid human party would be easy. '_Keh. What am I worried' bout?'_

. . . . . . . . . .

Inuyasha walked with Ms. Higurashi in the large, cool building that she had called a mall. He could smell all sorts of smells. He could smell, food, chemicals that it looked like women were putting in their hair in one of the stores, cleaning products that the cleaning people were using (these especially hurt his nose), and the many scent the humans were giving off. Ms. Higurashi began humming happily and he looked down at her. She smiled up at him and kept on with her tune.

Inuyasha looked around at the many people around them. He could see children running around, screaming, and crying. There were some couples walking hand in hand and sitting on some benches. He looked away embarrassed at what some of them were doing in public. What the women were wearing wasn't helping at all. It was as if they _liked _showing off so much skin! But then again, Kagome did show a lot of skin. But, he didn't complain. Maybe these women did it for their mates? Whatever the reason, Inuyasha decided there and then that he didn't care what these other women from Kagome's time did.

"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked the woman.

"Right there. We're going to get you some nice clothes. I can't wait. Souta doesn't let me pick out his clothes anymore. Let's see if I can still tell what's hip," Mama Higurashi says and takes the hanyou's arm. She leads him into the store and he barely gets a glimpse of the name of the store. '_Burr ling ton? That's a dumbass name for a store.'_

Inuyasha followed blankly as Ms. Higurashi led him around the store and towards the men's section. He nearly lost her as she started moving about the racks. She was speaking a mile a minute while picking up article after article of clothing. Inuyasha watched as she did this while making stops by him to dump her growing pile in his waiting arms.

"I think this is enough to start with," she says and looks at her handiwork. She could no longer see Inuyasha but she heard him mumble something behind the clothes. "Let's go try them on," she says. Ms. Higurashi takes his arm before leading him to the dressing rooms. She guided him into the dressing room and waited outside for him. She could barely contain her excitement. This was going to be her make-up gift to Kagome. She felt bad about forbidding her daughter from returning to the feudal era. Maybe Kagome would forgive her after this? But, she highly doubted it. Seeing Inuyasha in nice clothes and well groomed might make her happy. But not enough to fully forgive her yet.

Not an hour goes by that Mama Higurashi doesn't think about what she did. She often finds herself second guessing her decision. This Naraku fellow was dead. There wouldn't be any more danger. Right? And if Kagome stayed near the well over there and only stayed a few days at a time ten it would be okay. Kagome could spend weekends in the feudal era. Maybe the minor holidays as well. But, Inuyasha would have to spend every second with her. Just as a safety precaution.

"How do I look?" Inuyasha's tentative voice asked. Mama Higurashi looked at the young man and her jaw dropped. Out of all the clothes she had given him, he had chosen the red, silk button up with the dark, black jeans. She watched as he started rolling up the sleeves slightly, being mindful of his claws. It was as if he was another person. She had seen him in modern clothes before, but it seemed that it would always catch her off guard. The red shirt fit him perfectly, framing his well-built torso and revealing broad shoulders and muscular arms. His waist was slim and compact, and the jeans hung low on his hips. She thought about getting him a belt and moved towards him. She bit her lip and played with the waistband of the jeans. It wasn't _too _roomy.

"This is perfect. Now go change," she says and pulls out a small ribbon. Moving behind him, she tied his hair back, forming a low pony tail.

"But, I thought you said it was perfect," he says.

"Yes. It is. But, go change. I want to see how the others look too," she answers. He grumbled but followed her orders nonetheless. She sat down on the cushioned bench and fanned herself lightly. Kagome sure knew how to pick a mate.

The rest of the time went like this, but half way through Mama Higurashi noticed some of the female workers looking their way when Inuyasha stepped out again. The middle-aged woman smiled proudly. Too bad for them. They would have to get their own heartthrob. He was taken by her daughter.

"This looks like enough. I have a good feeling Kagome will be enjoying that party. But, not _too _much I hope," Mama Higurashi says and gives the young man she considered a son and knowing look.

"Of course not," Inuyasha says with a blush and looks away from her.

"Good," she says with finality in her voice. "Inuyasha-kun, I have decided to allow Kagome to go back with you. but, not for more than three days at a time. and you must promise me that you'll be with her at _all times."_

"Of course. I wouldn't leave her alone again. I promise," he says with a determined voice.

"I trust you, Inuyasha-kun. I know you're a man of your word. That's what I like about you. you remind me a lot of my late husband. I'd always hoped that Kagome would meet a young man like her father and I can't help but feel that she did. Now, don't misunderstand me. You're not perfect, but I couldn't have chosen anyone better. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes how lucky she is."

"I think I'm the lucky one. I don't think I' that great," Inuyasha says.

"Of course you would think that. But that doesn't matter. You're both lucky and quite happy. Now, let's go get dinner," Mama Higurashi says. They reach the cashier and the teenage girl who was standing behind it smiled at them. She looked to be about Kagome's age. Mama Higurashi couldn't help but notice the way the young girl was looking at her future son-in-law. If she knew what was good for her, she'd look away…

Inuyasha felt a new sense of relief after hearing Ms. Higurashi's words. He had always wondered what she thought about him being with her daughter even though she showed no signs of resenting it. But, now he knew. She really did love him like she would any other member of her family. that was Kagome and her mother that liked him. He was sure that the runt liked him too, but the old man was another story. Then again, Inuyasha looked at it from the old man's point of view. He realized that if he were in the old man's shoes, he'd hate himself. The thought of some male showing up to take his only girl away was infuriating, even if it was his granddaughter.

'**We don't even have pups yet and we're already getting pissed at the asshole who's going to come calling.'**

'_Why the hell not? The asshole has no right coming around my pup!'_

'_What_ pup!'

'**My point exactly. But, if Kagome were to get pupped, that would all change…'**

'Not again with this. Why don't we let Kagome be the one to decide this whole thing?'

'**Fine. She would obviously choose to mate with me. Like she's done repeatedly in the past…'**

'_Why is it that you can only think about mating with Kagome? Can't you think about anything else?'_

'**What else is there to think about? The only thing I need on my mind is my mate. **_**She**_** is **_**everything**_**.'**

'That's devotion. Some might even call it obsession.'

'**Fuck you ningen. I love my mate. Can you say the same?'**

'Of course I love Kagome! We all do!'

'**Good. I'm glad we're all on the same page here. So, I thought it was about time that I bring up another pressing matter… when can I kill the dead bitch?'**

'_Kikyou? You still want to kill her? I thought you had gotten over that.'_

'**Well, I haven't. I want that bitch to burn in hell. She and Naraku have always been good for each other. Next time I see her, I'm ripping her throat out. And you two idiots can't stop me.'**

'Go right ahead.'

'_We're not stopping you.'_

'…**What? Really? I thought you would object! This is great!'**

'Why would we? Kikyou killed Kagome, lied about it, and then tried to take her place. There's some things that just can't be forgiven. If _Kagome_ can't forgive someone, then that says that they don't deserve mercy from anyone.'

'**Finally. You're learning ningen. I just wish you asses had listened to me from the beginning. Anyways, let's go. I want to see my mate. I miss her.'**

'_Sure. I miss her too.'_

'Who knows? Maybe she's already waiting for us…'

**~:~**

**Moi-Moi: There. You guys got your touching moment from Inuyasha(all three sides) and more of bitchy, conniving Kikyou. Um…this was long compared to what I normally write. Well, I'm officially pumped dry. Also, I want to finish this story off by March. So my plan to do an update a month is out. (I didn't even last a month!) I have another idea I want to do, but I should finish the other stories I have out first. I wanted to do a story where Inuyasha is turned into a dog. You know the ones… he is turned into a four-legged furry friend for Kagome. I can't wait to get started! **

**Inuyasha: You're still writing? Don't you ever give up?**

**Moi-Moi: Piss off dog boy. It's eleven in the night. I don't need your shit.**

**Kikyou: I don't appreciate being made into the evil guy…**

**Moi-Moi: NO ONE CARES! This is a Kikyou-haters fic. It's specially designed for readers to hate your character even more than they already do. Which forces them to like Kagome even more when they read what she'll do to Kikyou later on… ohhhhhh. It'll be good.**

**Kikyou: What will happen to me?**

**Moi-Moi: Nothing **_**too **_**bad. Tell me, which hand is your favorite?**

**Kikyou: My right. Why do you ask?**

**Moi-Moi:… Interesting…**

**Kikyou: O.o**

**REVIEW YOU GUYS. I LOVE IT. REVIEWING IS LOVE!**


	11. Time Alone

**Moi-Moi: Hey you guys. I hope you are enjoying this fan fiction. Because, I am. I thought I would try something a little different in this chapter. Instead of getting right to it, I'm going to do a bit of responding to your reviews. So, this may take a while. ^.^**

**~Prologue~**

**: I think I answered your question already, but I don't consider Inuyasha a big a character as Kikyou and Kagome. This story is mostly about settling the conflict between these two once and for all. Even though Inuyasha has made his decision, Kikyou won't go down without a fight. So, Kagome must step in. :D**

**~Chapter 1~**

**None… pooh… :C**

**~Chapter 2~**

**InuEared Miko of Darkness: I enjoy your enthusiasm. -_-' Lol. And yes, that is Kikyou's main problem. Not only is she a crazy b****, but she's a bit delusional. As if Inuyasha would leave Kagome for her…. And thank you for the love. :DD**

**CupofTeaforAliceandHatter: I would never make Inuyasha do something so heartless. He loves Kagome and ONLY her. And unfortunately, Kagome did die that easily. She fell off a cliff. Not even the love and hope of her adoring fans could have saved her. And Kikyou will definitely get what she deserves…**

**Inuyasha Lubby Kagome: Um. Creative use of the textin language. Once agen, I appreciate the enthusiasm u show. I can feel ur hatred of Kikyou from here. Lol. :D**

**Random Tigerz of Lily: Um. Okay? I guess… *shrugs***

**Rikki Taro: Seriously guys? Should I be worried about your increasingly descriptive violence? I'm glad that you love Sesshoumaru. I worked really hard to grasp his character without making him too OOC. You don't know how many times I stopped to think, would Sesshoumaru do that?" anyways, I'm not startled. I get my daily amount of violence from my friends. They swear that they're violent but they've never peeked into my head. :P**

**~Chapter 3~**

**None again. Sigh.**

**~Chapter 4~**

**Random Tigerz of Lily: It's nice to hear from you again… I think. But no. Kagome's soul is quite large also, there's still the part that dwells within Kikyou. I may not know much about the soul-reaping business, but if I was collecting a soul I would take most of it and leave the rest. I'd want all (not being greedy. Just saying). Even though it's a cartoon, she's still human.**

**: Thanks for reviewing again! Lol. Kikyou never belonged here to begin with. ;D**

**Raven2010: First off, I would like to say that I have read your stories as well and I think they are great( especially your lemons ;)). I'm glad that this story is provoking evil Kikyou-hating thoughts in you. lol. I love Kagura as well. I feel that she is such a great character, but we hardly see her on Inuyasha. It sucks that she dies. Thanks again. :DD**

**CupofTeaforAliceandHatter: Thanks for reviewing again. Lol…**

**InuEared Miko of Darkness: I'm happy too! I share your joy! Lmao! You can't have a fic without Kagome. She's the cookies to Inuyasha's milk… -_-' forget I said that…**

**Moi-Moi: Some more next time. I think it's time we start…**

**~:~**

Chapter 10

It was time to collect.

He had surely given her enough time. Hadn't he? It did not matter. People were whispering. His lack of producing a true air had whispers of mutiny running amok. It was not that they doubted his leadership skills. No, they didn't. It was his lack of a true blood-heir. And if he wished to squash the rumors and whispers soon, he had to work fast. He promised himself he would not force his love-his only love- into something she was not ready for, but if he deemed it necessary…

"Where are you going Kouga-sama?" one of the lower wolves asked his leader. The young, tanned man looked back at him with a determined look.

"I am going to retrieve my mate. It is time she born me an heir," Kouga says before leaving his den in a rush. Yes Kagome. Her time was up. It was time for Kouga to make true n his promise to make her his in every aspect of the phrase. Yes, he was definitely coming to collect.

**~~REVIEWING IS LOVE~~**

"Kagome! Are ya _done_ yet!" Inuyasha yelled from the bottom of the stairs. His arms folded irritated, his foot began to tap. He heard his mate call out that she was almost done. '_Keh. She said that ten minutes ago!' _

"Just be patient Inuyasha-kun. You two will have fun. I'm sure of it," Mama Higurashi says with her pleasant smile.

"We won't have any fun if we don't even go to the stupid party," Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. Why did she insist on taking ten years to get ready? Couldn't she just put on clothes and go? What was so difficult about getting dressed?

"I'm ready!" Kagome called out and began her trek downstairs. Inuyasha and Mama Higurashi looked up at the same time and both were stunned.

"Kagome! You look so pretty! I love it!" Mama Higurashi cooed before going over to her daughter. Kagome blushed lightly. It wasn't much. Well, it wasn't much on the rack. Eri and Yuka had bought it for her and made her promise to wear it. It was a black, fitted tee with black and purple tutu. There were also purple suspenders attached to the tutu. She had on black leggings and fingerless, fishnet long gloves. Her hair was in waves and black ballet flats her on her feet. She had put on make-up against her better judgment. It wasn't something she often did, but she had to admit; the eyeliner and mascara did bring out her eyes.

For the first time, she looked at Inuyasha. Where did her get those clothes? He looked amazing. It was as if he had just stepped out of a catalogue full of great clothes and hot models. The kind of models that looked so good, you had to question if they were really human. His normally uncombed hair looked tamed and neat. He was wearing a black, cotton long sleeved shirt that hugged him perfectly along with some dark jeans. It still shocked her to see him in clothes other than his fire rat robes. The gaudy, red outfit did nothing for his physique. How hand he hidden his broad shoulders, taunt muscles, and slim waist? If only she could convince him to never out back on the red robes…

Inuyasha noticed that for the past few minutes he had been shamelessly ogling Kagome. It was the scent of attraction and slight arousal from said girl that broke him out of his trance. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Inuyasha spoke up. "You look… great. What did you do?"

"Yuka and Eri picked it out. You're really think I look good?" Kagome asked, her nervousness slipping away slowly. The fact the Inuyasha-her Inuyasha- was complimenting her said something. He never complimented anyone. Well, she would just have to get used to the special treatment.

"Of course," Inuyasha says and steps to her.

"Alright you two. I have some rules. One, no inappropriate behavior. I doubt I need to go into detail about what's inappropriate in public. Two, try not to get into trouble. If you see something there that could cause problems with the police I want you two to come _straight home. _Three, have fun," Mama Higurashi finished with a smile.

"Okay, mama. We will," Kagome says.

"Also Kagome. I decided to reconsider. I realize now that the feudal era has become a second home to you and it would be heartless to keep you from your friends over there. You can go back, but only on weekends and Inuyasha must be with you at _all times," _Mama Higurashi says with her wagging finger.

"Thank you Mama! You're the best! I love you!" Kagome says and embraces the woman tightly. "We have to go now. Bye mama!" Kagome takes Inuyasha's hand before walking out the door. Mama Higurashi watched them go with a sigh. Kagome was even happier than she thought she would be. Her plan was a great success. Now, the house was quiet. Souta was out at a friend's house and Jii-Chan was snoozing upstairs. It was time for a well-deserved rest.

~~REVIEWING IS LOVE~~

Kagome laughed lightly along with her friends loudly over the booming music. She had to admit, Yuka could throw a big party. Although, everyday Kagome swore her friend was becoming more and more westernized. Not only was their free booze here, but Kagome was sure Yuka didn't know half the people here. She moved most of the furniture out of the way and all the expensive stuff was locked away in the attic.

"I swear she didn't know! We had to tell her that her underwear was showing but she went the whole period like that!" Eri says next and the laughter continues. After a while, Kagome's laughter died out. She laughed along with Yuka and Eri, but she didn't get the kick out of the story the way they did. It was slightly funny, but mostly unfortunate. Kagome looked over to her left to see Inuyasha finishing off the drink in his hand while listening to something Ayumi's date was saying.

Once again, she thanked Miroku and Keade. The two had been most helpful tonight. If she had known they could make her a concealment charm for Inuyasha, she would have asked for one a long time ago. Kagome was sure no one could see Inuyasha's ear or claws beside her. Her powers would not allow her to be fooled by the trick, but everyone else was oblivious.

"Inuyasha looks good tonight. Wha's the special occasion?" Yuka whispered into Kagome's ear, the alcohol on her breath nearly knocked the miko out.

"No special occasion. My mom made him go shopping with her. Why?" Kagome asked and moved back.

"I thought you two were gonna… _you know."_

"Yuka! We couldn't! This is your parents' home. I could do that here!" Kagome said. She got Eri's attention and Ayumi looked at them with a curious look.

"Loosen up Kagome. You never know. Once you get those _urges, _you just can't stop yourself sometimes," Yuka says and finishes her drink. "I'm gonna get another. Can I get you guys anything?"

"Maybe you've had enough," Kagome says and tries to keep the girl seated.

"Kagome, don't be such a _mom_. Kami," Yuka says and walks away with a stumble in her step.

"I'm going after her. I don't like this at all," Kagome says and follows her. Inuyasha looks over when Kagome gets up. Ayumi answered his silent question.

"She's going after Yuka. Yuka's a bit tipsy."

"Seriously? Maybe I should go talk to her," one of the males Inuyasha was sitting with says before getting up. Inuyasha watched him go with a suspicious look. He didn't like the boys' scent. He smelt aroused, intoxicated, and downright _bad. _Whatever he was planning wasn't good. He moved to follow him. Kagome was with that Yuka girl. If anything happened, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

Inuyasha weaved through the mass of gyrating bodies easily enough. It reeked of arousal and alcohol in here. Is this what all parties in Kagome's time were like? It looked more like men and women getting together to mate. It smelled like some of them had actually. Inuyasha held back his bile.

Once he got to what looked like the kitchen, Inuyasha looked around for Kagome. He spotted her sitting at the dining table alone with her face in her hands. She looked up at him, probably sensing his demonic aura.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked and sat next to her.

"Yuka went off with that guy. I bet she doesn't even know him. I'm really worried about her Inuyasha. This isn't the girl I know. It's like she's changed after all that time I spent in the Feudal Era," Kagome says and looks directly at him.

"Let her do what she wants. Once she realizes that you were right, she'll come crying back," Inuyasha says with a scoff.

Kagome should have seen that coming. Of course he would give an answer like that. "I'll just be waiting for her when she does. Thanks Inuyasha."

"Keh. Whatever. You want to go back out?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome thought for a second. This party was losing its appeal and fast. But, she should at least dance before she leaves. But would Inuyasha go for that? "Sure. Inuyasha, do you want to dance?" she says and takes his hand. Inuyasha looked at her for a second. Dancing was something he would never do. Besides, the "dancing" they were doing out there looked more like 'mating with your clothes' on to him. "If you don't want to dance with me, I understand."

'**Asshole! Dance with her!'**

'Let me do it! I can dance better than both of you!'

'**No you can't! You dance worse than Toutousai-jiji!'**

'_Shut up. I'll do it.'_

"No. I do. Let's go," he says and takes her hand. Kagome smiles brilliantly and follows him out the kitchen. Once they get on the dance floor, she sees Inuyasha watch her with a blank look. She giggled lightly before taking the lead. She stood with her back to him and pulled his arms around her.

"Trust me!" she yelled at him over the music. Once she started moving, Inuyasha felt even more awkward. He was moving with her on autopilot. He couldn't understand what the person in the song was saying, but the loud beat that went with it made the whole house shake. It was as if his insides were pulsing along with the beat. It was quite an uncomfortable feeling, but it was soon replaced with the growing feel of arousal. "Move with me!" Kagome yelled. So he did.

After several minutes of only swaying, Kagome began to turn it up a notch. She took the hanyou by surprise when she spun in his arms and faced him. Her arms went around his neck and his was taken off guard by how close they were. Yep. This was definitely mating with your clothes on.

"You're getting better. Don't think about it," Kagome said to him again.

'**The wench can dance. Why am I not surprised?'**

'You call this dancing?'

'**Don't you watch TV? Of course this is dancing. What else will it be?'**

'_Are you saying you know how to dance like this?'_

'**Hell yeah. Whenever Kagome went to school or was busy, I would watch TV. You learn a lot. This kind of dancing is mostly in the West though; in some place called A-mer-ri-ka. You know, I'd be happy to take over for you…'**

Kagome kept moving, turning around once again. Suddenly, Inuyasha's hold on her tightened and she could feel him pressed up against her back even more. '_What happened?' _When she felt the spike in his youki, she knew. Of course his demon would come out now of all times. It was obvious that she let him indulge in modern culture too much. How else did he learn to move like this? Kagome found that was doing strange things to her. Well, not strange more like _pleasant. _There was slight warmth pooling in her; one that was slowing turning the bones in her legs into goo.

"**You want to stop now**?" a husky voice breathed into her ear. She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. He was thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Yeah. I need a drink," Kagome says and leads him away from the dance floor. She didn't know how long they were dancing, but it felt like forever. Her face was flushed and the heat was unbearable. Maybe now she knew what Yuka had meant. But, that didn't mean she would jump in a bed with Inuyasha; especially not in someone else's home.

Unfortunately for Kagome, there was only booze in the house. She was sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for Inuyasha to return from his search for water. If he didn't return soon, she was sure she would explode. The feel of Inuyasha touching her with his hands that roamed over her body while they danced was still fresh in her mind. One man should not be able to have this kind of power over her. It just wasn't right.

"Kagome?" Yuka asked and stepped into the kitchen.

"Yuka, are you alright?" Kagome asked and went over to her friend.

"Yeah," Yuka said with a sigh. "I didn't go through with it. He didn't even know my _name_, Kagome. Kami, what is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you. You just drank a little too much. You just need to send everyone home and take a good rest," Kagome says.

"You may be right. Where's Inuyasha?"

"He went to look for water. Is there any?"

"I doubt it. That was the first to go. You should go find him. It's probably best if you head home. It's getting late," Yuka says.

"You don't want me to help clean up?" Kagome asked with a concerned look.

"Nah. I got some people coming over tomorrow. Just go home Kagome. I can tell you're not having too much fun. Besides, I'm sure you and Inuyasha can find other ways to have fun," Yuka says with a wink.

"Yuka!" Kagome objected. But now, her arousal was back full force. Kagome put her face in her hand to cover up the blush. Why her?

"Just think about it. I bet he's amazing in bed, isn't he. Of course _you _would know all about that," Yuka says slyly. Kagome looked away from her. Yep. Yuka was becoming westernized. The transformation was almost complete. "I bet you do it in all kinds of exotic places; like in hot springs, or on a beach, or against a tree, or maybe even on the roof."

"I never thought about the roof. Sounds fun," Inuyasha says and steps inside. Kagome looks to him and glares. She grabs a water bottle from his hand and drinks it angrily. The full-demon just smirked at her.

"_Ha ha," _Kagome says. Yuka giggles lightly at her friend before leaving them alone.

"What were you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yuka had this _outrageous_ idea that we would end up in bed together tonight," Kagome grumbled and sipped from her water. That when she felt the shift in his aura. She looked over to him only to see him mere inches away. Every nerve in her body went on high alert at how close he was. It was not helping her cool down at all.

"I like that idea," Inuyasha said before taking her lips. Kagome's eyes widened and a gasp made its way out. Inuyasha took the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth. Closing her eyes slowly, Kagome allowed him to back her up against the counter and put the half-empty bottle aside. Her hands found their way into his hair and she felt just how soft it was. Why didn't he keep it groomed all the time?

In the back of her mind, something nagged at the miko. It kept telling her that they should not be doing this here. This was something they did in private. Not in someone's kitchen where anyone could walk in on them. But, she was sure Inuyasha was ready to say, 'fuck anybody that comes in' and keep ravishing her. But, her better judgment won out before the full-demon could slip his hand under her clothing.

"We can't do this here," Kagome said breathlessly.

"I can find us someplace," Inuyasha said before taking her lips again.

"I want to go home," Kagome says and moves away from him. He looks down at her flushed face before agreeing. The last thing he needed was some human interrupting them. Once he laid his mate down, they would not be getting up until sunrise.

"Let's go," he said with a smirk that promised more to come.

~~REVIEWING IS LOVE~~

The ride back was cool and Kagome welcomed it gratefully. They had taken the train to Yuka's house so it was no problem to simply run home. Kagome felt the heat coming off Inuyasha's back and she buried her face into his shoulder. She noticed that his hands were further up her thighs than usual and that they were slowly kneading her flesh. Not only was he keeping her as aroused as ever, he was running in a way that caused her to jerk up and down on his back. She was sure he was trying to tease her. She tried to clamp her thighs together in order to relieve some of the tension in her nether regions but Inuyasha would only pick up his pace.

"A-are we home yet?" Kagome asked and barely held back a small moan.

"Almost. Just a few more minutes. Be patient. I doubt you want to pull over here and finish what we started," Inuyasha answered with a teasing voice. Kagome wasn't so sure right about now.

She had to get back at him though. But how? One thing came to mind. Slowly, her left hand snaked up to his ear before rubbing the invisible appendage. She felt him stumble slightly and smirked to herself. She had him now.

"Gome, please. I'm trying to focus on not running us into a tree," Inuyasha said strained. Her growing arousal was enough to keep him hard, but once her sneaky hand had started to rub his ear, he mentally cursed. In all fairness, he had started all of this.

Once the Sunset shrine came into sight, Inuyasha sent a silent prayer to the gods. It took everything he had not to stop on a rooftop and take Kagome right there. Why did she have to do this to him? Everything about her turned him on. She was sent to him by the gods to test him. But, he was failing miserably. If he had his way, Kagome would never walk again.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked when Inuyasha avoided the house and went straight down the well. He wasted no time in jumping out of the well and letting her down. Barely a second later, and he was on her.

**~~LEMON STARTS HERE~~**

Kagome didn't catch her breath before Inuyasha's lips were on her. She moaned into the kiss and pulled him closer. Now that they were in private, she wouldn't hold back. Kagome pulled off her suspenders and moaned loudly into Inuyasha's ear. His face was in her neck placing kisses and love bites everywhere he could reach. She felt his hands at her back before she barely registered a ripping sound. Her bra went slack and she looked at him surprised. He only smirked at her.

Picking Kagome up by her rear, Inuyasha wrapped her legs around his waist. Slowly he knelt onto the grass and pulled off her shirt and the remains of her bra. He paid her down below him and tossed the material away. Inuyasha would never get tired of seeing his mate naked. It was as if every time he learned every inch of her body, something changed and he had to familiarize himself with it. He was on her again with renewed vigor as his lips tangled with hers.

Kagome snuck her arms in between their bodies and began to undo the buttons on his shirt. After fumbling several times, she got it off and tossed it away as well. A needy moan left her lips once his mouth was on her breast. Her back arched and forced the breast further into his mouth. He was teasing her. He knew she was more than ready by now. Why did he insist on keeping her climax at bay? Did he really take pleasure in making her beg?

"Yasha… _please," _Kagome pleaded and pulled his head up to her face. He smirked down at her and she glared back. He _did _like hearing her beg.

Hearing his mate beg for her release did wonders for Inuyasha's already large ego. The clearing reeked of their combined arousal now. He knew she was ready. He was more than ready, but he felt the need to drag out her pleasure as long as possible. But, he would have to get to it sooner or later. Judging by the way Kagome was looking at him, if he didn't do it now, she would do it herself.

Sitting up, Inuyasha proceeded to strip her off her leggings and skirt. She was looking up at him in nothing but those white cloths she used to cover herself from him. Kagome sat up then and began to unzip him. "Impatient?" Inuyasha asked with a fanged smirk.

"You're going too slow," Kagome said and began to pull down his pants and boxers. Once they were down, Inuyasha leaned over her again and wiggled out of them. He looked down at Kagome before slipping inside of her slowly. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lips harshly to keep from groaning. After several thrusts, he began to pick up the pace. Kagome wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Before long, her nails were scraping his back, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to feel.

They continued like that for some time; moving together as one. Kagome would try to keep up with the pace he was setting only to give up with a groan and let him do as he pleased. She could feel the release that had evaded her all night. Inuyasha knew she was close. But, once she started rubbing his ears again he feared he would get there before her. Then, he used the only weapon he had against her. His hand went in between them and found the nub that was especially sensitive. Just like her thought, Kagome jerked under him and her moans increased in volume. Her hand had stilled momentarily before picking up its speed again.

Their orgasms snuck up on them, taking them both by surprise. Kagome felt every muscle in her body tense up immensely before they started to spasm. She went lax in Inuyasha's arms, her heavy breathing the only sign that she was awake. Inuyasha buried his face in her neck. Licking softly at the junction there, he took lungfuls of her scent. He loved her scent after they had mated. She smelled of him. It let every other demon know that she was taken. Unfortunately, she liked to bathe after their love making and the scent wasn't as strong after wards.

**~~LEMON ENDS HERE~~**

"Kagome, we should get up. Kagome?" Inuyasha asked and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out signaling that she was out cold. He tapped her cheek lightly, but she didn't wake. Feeling his ego inflate even more, Inuyasha moved to gather up their clothes. He would have to wash and dress her himself.

~~REVIEWING IS LOVE~~

**Moi-Moi: There. I gave you the lemon that I have been avoiding since the prequel. Sigh. I'm drained. Well, guys we're almost at the end of the rope. Yep. There's only about 4-5 chapters left not including an epilogue. I'm not sure if I'll do one. It all depends. This chapter was mostly filler and I hoped you enjoyed it. *Yawn*.**

**Kagome: Where am I?**

**Moi-Moi: You're up? Inuyasha must have really tired you out!**

**Kagome: He was just… -_-'**

**Kikyou: I do not allow this! How dare you put your filthy hands on my Inuyasha you slut!**

**Kagome: Excuse me, but he's **_**my **_**mate. He **_**loves **_**me. And if you hadn't noticed, he came onto **_**me**_**.**

**Kikyou: You're still a slut…**

**Random Kikyou-Haters (with knives and pitchforks): THERE SHE IS! GET THAT BITCH!**

**Kikyou: Oh no! Stay away from me! *runs away***

**Kagome: Haha!**

**Moi-Moi: I wonder who let them in here? Oh well. No harm done.**

**Kagome: Review and Sesshoumaru may show up to your house in nothing but a towel! ;)**


	12. Descisions, Descisions

**Moi-Moi: Um, instead of answering every individual person again, we'll just start. It's a lot of reviews. Maybe in the future I'll say a collective thanks to everyone who reviewed. Anyway, I just want to say that there won't be much more left for this story. Count on 4-7 chapters. Okay? Okay? Hello? Is anyone reading? Um….. **

**~REVIEWING IS LOVE~**

Chapter 11

Kagome was slightly worried.

She had had sex with Inuyasha five days ago. It wasn't their first time, but it was their first time mating so close to Kagome's cycle. She had just gotten off her cycle a week before. But, maybe there was nothing to worry about. Maybe she was worrying for nothing. Besides, she hadn't gotten pregnant before. Why would it change now?

That didn't calm her fears however.

"Kagome, why are you so tense?" Sango asked her young friend. Sango stopped cleaning herself long enough to watch her younger friend.

"I'm worried Sango. Inuyasha and I mated a few days ago and I'm not sure if I'm pregnant or not," Kagome says.

"Well, haven't you spoken about doctors in your time who can tell if a woman is pregnant or not?" Sango asked with eyes that showed true concern. Sango could see that Kagome was truly worried about this. "Would it be a bad thing to be pregnant with Inuyasha's child?"

"No. But, I'm worried about my life in the future. For me to be pregnant there and not married, it's disgraceful," Kagome says. Sango bit her bottom lip in an effort to think of something- _anything- _to say that lift her friend's spirits. But she could think of nothing.

"Um… I'm not sure what to tell you Kagome-chan. But, I want you to know that no matter what, you will always be welcomed here. And, I'm positive that your family would never turn you away. We all love you too much for that," Sango says. One look at Kagome's face told Sango all she needed to know. It turns out that that was all Kagome needed to hear.

"Thank you Sango-chan. I needed that," Kagome says. Sango rested a hand on her shoulder softly and gave an encouraging smile. A soft snap to the left drew the slayers attention at once. Sango scanned her surroundings and lowered herself into the warm waters of the hot spring. "What's wrong?"

Sango gave her a look and tilted her head toward some bushes. Kagome went under water as well and felt around the bottom. She handed Sango the rock she had grasped and waited. Sango threw the rock harshly at the bush and a strained shout met their ears. "Miroku! You pervert!" Sango yelled.

"Get out of here!" Kagome yelled as well and moved towards her bags. Her soak in the hot springs was ruined by the monk's lack of self-control. Where was Inuyasha? Why wasn't he watching Miroku?

"But this is hardly fair! Inuyasha was peeping on Kagome-sama!" Miroku yelled as a now dressed Sango continued to rough him up. Kagome froze.

"Osuwari!" Kagome yelled. Inuyasha couldn't escape fast enough, causing him to fall with a loud thud several feet away. "Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled and glared at his body. She could tell he was yelling some muffled curses from his crater, but she couldn't make them out. She didn't think he would stoop so low as to partake in Miroku's bad habits. Maybe she should tie him to a tree when she bathes…

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With tense shoulders, Kagome stalked next to her mate. She noticed Inuyasha's constant side glances at her. It seemed that he wanted to say something- probably apologize- but something was holding him back. They were the only two walking through Inuyasha's forest. He had brought her out here to have a talk, but he had yet to speak. Kagome was just fine waiting for him though. She had already forgiven him, but the lack of communication was slightly upsetting.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha starts. Kagome stops and gives him a knowing look. She folded her arms and waited for his apology. "Do you really think that you're pregnant?" (1)

Kagome froze. She should have known that he'd heard that. Why hadn't she seen this coming? "I'm not sure. But I will find out. I'll get a pregnancy test from my time. It won't be hard. Why? Do you not want children?" Kagome asked and fiddled with her hands. She looked everywhere but at the hanyou. What if he truly didn't want children and he only accepted Shippou because he was already here? Did Inuyasha feel trapped by early fatherhood? Why had she never thought about it before? Was she even ready to be a mother? Slowing, a mix of emotions crept up on Kagome and leaked into her scent. Inuyasha watched her warily, not knowing what she was thinking about. "I'm sorry Inuyasha."

"Why are _you _sorry? You didn't do anything. I'm just as guilty as you are!" Inuyasha said. He was trying desperately to keep her from crying. The scent of sale water was growing and, in turn, so was his anxiety.

Kagome looked up at him then, "I don't think we're ready for it Inuyasha. What if we mess up really bad? There's no going back. Shippou's a child. There were no diapers, no pregnancy, no breast feeding… I don't want to bring a child into this world if I'm not ready for one." She realized that this could have been prevented. Kagome was from a time where there were more than enough ways to prevent pregnancy, but she had ignored them all. Slowly, she wiped her tears away on her hand.

"I think that neither of us are ready for it Kagome. But, I wouldn't walk away from it. If you are, I'd be right there. Besides, I don't think anyone is really prepared for it. They just _think _they are," Inuyasha said, trying to put on a brave face. Kagome watched him for a while before nodding and sniffling again.

"Thank you Inuyasha. I needed that," Kagome says.

"Let's go back now. I'm hungry."

Kagome sweat drops. Maybe, in a way, taking care of Inuyasha was like taking care of a baby…a very _large _baby.

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The next day, Kagome sat on a hill side picking some herbs for Keade. The sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing happily. She was much more peaceful after her talk with Inuyasha. She even hummed a little made-up tune. Deciding that she had more than enough, Kagome stood and began her walk back.

About three minutes away from the village, Kagome heard the clacking of hoof beats and a loud horse whinnying. Turning around, Kagome saw a large brown horse running at her. She gasped loudly before moving out of the way. The horse neighed again before kicking up its front hooves. Kagome watched with frightened eyes as a man fell limply off its back. The horse paced before taking off again. Leaving her herbs behind, Kagome went to aid the man.

"Hello? Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Kagome asked. _'I need to get him to Keade's hut.' _When he started to groan, Kagome felt some relief. '_Good. He's still alive, but barely.'_

Hoisting up the man and slinging his arm around her shoulder, Kagome started to take him back to the village. Many questions were going through her mind. Who was he? What had he been doing? She could hear him mumbling something in his unconscious state, but didn't focus on it. Once she the hut came into view, she called out for help. She got the attention of some nearby villagers and Inuyasha came out of the hut at once. Keade followed him with Shippou behind her.

Inuyasha took the man from her and Kagome went to Keade. "He came out of nowhere. He was passed out of his horse, but it threw him off."

"Inuyasha, ye get him inside," Keade ordered. "Kagome, ye help me tend to him." Everyone followed their orders respectively as they were given. Inuyasha, although, was wary of the unknown man. Maybe it was just his paranoia at meeting a new face. But, his instincts were screaming at him. The man's situation was quiet strange to say the least, but Inuyasha didn't even know him.

'We'll have to question him when he wakes.'

'**I don't like him. Keep close by. If he wakes up, he may harm our mate.'**

'The man is unconscious and dying. What could he possibly do?'

'**You'd be surprised what a real man can do ningen…'**

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Kagome continued to alternate between poking the fire and stirring the pot of stew on it. The man who had appeared to her was sleeping soundly at the other side of the hut quietly. Her curiosity was piqued when it came to him. She wanted to know what had happened to him, who he was, and many other things. She was lucky that Inuyasha had even left her alone. He was being even more protective than usual, but Kagome chalked it up to his usual paranoia. He just didn't trust the man yet.

Slowly, the man opened his heavy eyes. He had been travelling for days, but if he was where he needed to be, it had been worth it. With a great amount of energy, he turned his head to the side. The sight of a young woman with long, dark hair came into his sight. She looked to be wearing a red kimono with a golden obi and trim. A small gold ribbon tied back her hair. From only her back, he could tell the she had nice curves. Suddenly, she looked back at him and his blood went cold.

"You're awake! That's good. Dinner's almost ready. You can have some then," she says and scoots closer to him. He tries to hide the fear and nervousness from her that he's feeling, but she doesn't seem to notice. "Tell me, what's your name?"

After some hesitation, he spoke quietly. "My name… is Matsu."

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**Moi-Moi: Bum, bum, bummmmmmmmmmmmmm! Lol.**

(1)I'm not going to go with the idea of Inuyasha saying "pupped" rather than "pregnant". So, sorry if you prefer pupped. But, Kagome won't be birthing no furry doggies. It's a living, human/half-demon baby coming out of there.

**So, yes. Kagome is pregnant. I need a vote here people. Should the bundle of joy be a boy or a girl? I already know what it's race will be. So vote people! **


	13. She's No Witch

Chapter 12

~MATSU'S P.O.V. ~

I have been observing the witch for two days now. She must be trying to lure me into a false sense of security. She has been treating me with kindness and care. She is acting nothing like Kikyou had told me. But I will not be taken in by her trickery. She is an evil witch who is trying to have me under her control; the same way she controls the half-demon.

But, the way she controls him confuses me. She does not control him the way a mater would their servant. They seem to be… lovers? But, how can this be? Why would she choose to mate with the half-demon? She could easily control a village lord or a powerful noble. Why does she settle for a worthless half-breed?

It must be a sham. She must be trying to fool me. But I will not be taken in by her deceptions. I will not fall for her soft looks and touch. Nor her light voice and bright smile. The witch, Kagome, will die by my hand. I will avenge Kikyou.

**~REVIEWING IS LOVE~**

I came close to killing the witch yesterday, but the half-demon interfered. Once I was alone with her again, I tried again. But, something stopped me.

_As I lay on the mat and stared up at the ceiling, I waited for the right moment. I was sure enough that I would be strong enough to take her down._

"_You're healing up nicely, Matsu-san. That's good. I wouldn't want you to have to stay in this boring hut any longer. I would go crazy sitting around all day," the witch says and removes my bandages._

"_Yes," I say. I don't speak to her much. She used to ask questions, but she's stopped now. I suppose she no longer cares for my history or my past._

"_You don't talk much, do you?" she says and her small hands brush against my bare skin. Her skin is soft and warm compared to mine then, she does the most heart stopping thing. She smiled at me. It was the most dazzling smile I had ever seen. Not even Kikyou had smiled at me like that. "Maybe I can change that. There. All done!"_

"_Uh… T-thank you," I say for the first time. My face heats up and she smiles again. I can tell she's pleased with something._

"_You're welcome," she says to me._

But she is just a witch. She is obviously working her magic on me. How else could she be doing this to me? Around noon, I made my way out of the hut. Kikyou must be worried about me. I must kill the witch soon. I need to get back to Kikyou soon.

I found the witch under a large tree. She looked to be reading some weird scroll. It was probably a spell book of some kind. She looked up and gasped when she saw me.

"What are you doing up? You should be lying down!" she left her scroll and came to me. I was losing my strength and once she put an arm around my shoulder to support me, I let out the breath I was holding. She started to scold me as she led me back to the hut. But, I wasn't paying attention to her words.

The witch smelled heavenly.

She smelled clean and of flowers. She was so warm that it was inviting. Even her hair smelled good. I am ashamed to say that I moved closer to her and held on to her tighter. We made it back to the village but the half-breed blocked our path.

"Inuyasha, help me with him. I don't want his condition to worsen," Kagome says. The half-demon watches me suspiciously before taking my other shoulder. In the process, he pulls me away from Kagome and into the hut. I looked towards the door and waited for Kagome to come in.

"You better watch it. You better not try anything funny with Kagome. Got it?" the half-demon snarled at me.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I say and keep my eyes on the door.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Just hurry up and get better so you can get the hell out of here," he says. Just then, Kagome steps inside and her eyes go straight to mine. I have to say, it warmed me slightly that she searched for me.

"What were you thinking? You are in no condition to be moving around like this! Don't move from this hut. Okay?" Kagome says and begins to look me over for and damage to my healing cuts.

When did I start to call her Kagome?

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As we all sat around the fire the next morning, the half-demon sprang up with a curse. We all turned to him as he began growling. He dashed out of the hut and Kagome called after him

"What is it Kagome-sama?" the monk, Miroku, asks.

"Kouga's here," Kagome says and goes outside. I look to everyone for an explanation, but they all look slightly worried.

Keade answers my unspoken question, "Kouga was one of Kagome-chan's suitors before she and Inuyasha became mates. He does not know about the mating."

My jaw dropped and I rose to my feet. A suitor of Kagome? I followed Miroku, Sango, and the fox kit out the door. I was not expecting to see Kagome with outstretched arms holding back the half-demon. Another demon covered in pelts was yelling at him.

"What the hell did you do, mutt! How dare you mate Kagome behind my back! If you were a real man you would challenge me for her the proper way! Don't think your tainted blood excludes you from our customs, mutt!" the pelt-covered demon yelled.

"Fine! It's about time I put an end to you anyways!" the half-demon yells.

"No! There's no need for violence. Let's all calm down and talk this out," Kagome says from in between them.

"This does not bode well," the monk says. The demon slayer nods in agreement and I look on. Kagome has other demons fighting for her? Does she have humans as well? I suppose the other demon is full demon due to the way he's speaking to the half-demon. But if Kagome could have a full demon or human, why would she settle for a half-demon? The longer I stay here, the more she confuses me.

She is nothing like Kikyou described. She does not act lie an evil witch. She has not killed or cast a single spell (except for the one she casted on me) since I've been here. She actually seems… normal. No, not normal. _Extraordinary_. She is an extraordinary being. Why would she do such cruel things to Kikyou? Maybe I should question her?

"I'll kill you wolf!" the half-demon yells and snaps me out of my daze. He pounces onto the apparently wolf demon and the two begin to growl and pummel each other. Kagome continues to yell at them, but they pay her no mind. If she were a witch who controls the half-demon, why does she not stop him?

"Why doesn't Kagome-sama use the subjugation charm?" the monk asks.

"She is trying not to. Since she and Inuyasha are closer, she doesn't want to control him that way anymore," the Taijya answers. What? This makes no sense. This is nothing lie Kikyou described.

"Inuyasha, sit!" Kagome yells. The necklace around the half-demon's neck glows before it pulls him to the ground and the wolf as well.

"Dammit Kagome! What was that for!" the half-demon yells at her. The power seems effective, but the half-demon doesn't seem to be trained very well.

I continued to watch as Kagome got in a shouting match with the half-demon. The wolf looked on as did everyone else. The villagers were even staring. I continued to look around when my eyes caught something out of the ordinary. It looked like Kikyou. She beckoned me before walking back into the forest. I snuck away and followed her.

"You have not done it yet Matsu-kun," she says once he gets close.

"I know. But Kikyou-sama, I am confused. She is nothing like you described," I start. Kikyou narrows her eyes at me as I continue, but I speak the truth. "She is nice, and kind. She does not seem like a witch. She is soft and warm and smells like flowers. She has done only nice things for me, and I am only a stranger to her! How can she be a witch?"

"You have fallen in love with her then?" Kikyou asks with venom.

"No! I love only you Kikyou-sama! I swear!" I approach her and take her hand in mine. She stares at our hands for a while before a voice sounds behind us.

"_Kikyou? _What are _you _doing here?" Kagome asks. The half-demon and wolf demon are standing behind her. The half-demon gives me a murderous look and the wolf simply glares.

"I am here to finish what I started Kagome," Kikyou answers with a cruel smile/smirk.

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**Moi-Moi: The climax is coming!**

**Kagome: Yay! I better go practice some fighting moves for the big showdown!**

**Moi-Moi: Be careful. You've got a little one on board and if you die, you won't come back.**

**Kikyou: She'll need all the luck she can get if she even hopes to defeat me…**

**Sesshoumaru: Die evil wench. ***_**slays her**_*****

**Moi-Moi: O.O**

**Kagome: O.O**

**Inuyasha: What the hell Fluffy?**

**Sesshoumaru: Oh please. The wench never fully dies. She always finds some way to come back. She's a pathetic cockroach. Now, if you'll excuse me. ***_**Removes clothing and puts on a fluffy, white towel**_*** I have to visit a reviewer's home now. ***_**leaves**_*****

**Moi-Moi: Um… okay? Review! Next time Inuyasha will show up at your house in a towel!**

**Kagome & Inuyasha: HEY!**

**Moi-Moi: What? Be happy I even gave you a towel…**


	14. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 13

_LAST TIME…._

"_Kikyou? What are you doing here?" Kagome asks. The half-demon and wolf demon are standing behind her. The half-demon gives me a murderous look and the wolf simply glares._

"_I am here to finish what I started Kagome," Kikyou answers with a cruel smile/smirk._

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"What are you talking about Kikyou-sama?" Matsu asks with a shocked face. He looks to Kikyou for an explanation, but she does not say anything. As time ticked on, Matsu begins to notice the sound of growls growing louder. Looking around frantically, he was met with the sight of brown wolves surrounding them.

"How the hell do _you _know Kikyou!" Inuyasha yells.

"That is none of your concern half-breed! Get behind me Kikyou-sama. I will protect you. I am not afraid of their fur balls," Matsu grounded out. Kikyou did as he asked, but kept her eyes on Kagome's.

"All this time, Matsu-san? What has Kikyou told you?" Kagome asks and moves closer to him. It proves to be the wrong move when Matsu draws a knife on her. Kagome gasps as Inuyasha pushes her back and draws Tetsuiga.

"I _warned _you asshole! Don't you lay a finger on Kagome!" Inuyasha yells. Kouga's growls grow louder and he takes an offensive stance.

"Kagome, get out of here!" Kouga yells back. Kagome instead doesn't move and looks at Inuyasha's back.

"Just do it Kagome! I can handle some pathetic human," Inuyasha says. Kagome nods once before turning to leave. How could Matsu betray them? He had seemed so… well, not trustworthy. But, he hadn't seemed evil. Kikyou must have tainted him in some way. It _had _to be Kikyou.

Kikyou watched as Kagome left before slinking back into the underbrush. Just then, Kouga let loose his wolves. Kikyou searched for Kagome's spiritual energy without stopping. She didn't even falter when Matsu's cries of her name reached her ears.

She had known Matsu would not survive. She was counting on it. How was she to live with Inuyasha? She could not have Matsu's delusions interfering.

As she went, Kikyou masked her presence with her spiritual powers. She also erected a barrier to keep anyone from interfering. She met up with Kagome at the edge of the barrier.

"What have you done Kikyou!" Kagome yelled at the woman when she noticed her presence. This was all too familiar. Being with Kikyou alone was what started all of this. Kagome had to get away from her.

"I have isolated you from the others, obviously. Unfortunately for you, this is where the tale of Kagome comes to an end and where the tale of Kikyou begins anew," Kikyou says and slowly draws an arrow. "But, don't worry. I'll take _good _care of Inuyasha."

"Do you _honestly _think that he'll love you! He'll know _you _tried to kill me!" Kagome yelled as her irritation rose.

"How can he assume that when he'll come across your cold body with a dagger in your gut? And whose hand will be on the knife but yours? Madness will drive anyone to do crazy things," Kikyou says.

'_Tell me about it,' _Kagome thinks. "Do you realize how many things are wrong with your plan? Why would I kill myself?" Kagome asked with an eye roll.

"_Shut up! Just shut up!" _Kikyou yells. Kagome shrinks back and stares with wide eyes at Kikyou. This was not the Kikyou she had grown accustomed to know. This Kikyou was a more feral and wild Kikyou. Her eyes were blazing and her hair looked slightly messy. Had Kikyou not washed or combed it in a while? "I don't _care _about that. My plan worked the first time and it'll work again. And this time, I'll get rid of that damn Sesshoumaru! I _will _have my happy ending… and there's not a damn soul alive that will stop me.

"Do you know how much planning I had to do Kagome? Do you know how much work I put into my plan? It's a marvelous plan you see. All I had to do was manipulate you, Naraku, Inuyasha, Kagura, and many other people. You're such a fool. I bet you had no idea that I was even manipulating you as well. Why do you think I had you kidnapped by Naraku and fed your powers? That's right. That little increase in strength you felt back then was my power that I was feeding to yours. I had to have you kill Naraku. I couldn't be bothered with that. I had bigger things to do.

"I had to make it look like Kaoru was the one who killed you. but no one would believe that you would just allow her to kill you, so I had to make it look like a fight where Kaoru's blood was spilled. Once she was gone, all I had to do was dispatch you. and I did. If Sesshoumaru had not interfered and gone sticking his nose where it did not belong, everything would have worked out fine. But, he had. And then, you came back. Everything went so wrong, so quickly," Kikyou says. Kagome watched with wide eyes as all the pieces fell into place. Kikyou was a cruel, calculating murderer. "Now, you know. Now, you understand."

Kagome began to move away from Kikyou when she saw the woman take aim. Unfortunately, she had left her own bow and arrows at the hut. "Don't hide from me! Get out here so I can kill you! Look at me! I want to see your eyes go white when I kill you!" Kagome heard Kikyou yell. Biting her lip, Kagome quickly and silently as possible climbed up the tree she was hiding behind.

She had to do this alone. Inuyasha would not be able to get past the barrier. '_How to kill a woman when you have no weapons? I have to get her bow away from her. I'm not going to let her spill any of my blood. That's for damn sure.'_

Kagome let out a shriek as she jumped from her branch and landed on top of Kikyou. She quickly grabbed the bow and as many arrows as she could. She stood back, but lost her footing when Kikyou landed a backhand slap to her cheek. Feeling an unnatural amount of anger bubble up in her, Kagome swung the arms with the bow in it at Kikyou. The bow hit her face with a resounding smack and Kikyou was knocked back. Kagome inspected the bow before frowning. There was a large crack in it. '_I'll only get one shot with this.'_

Kikyou let out a loud cry as she attacked Kagome's mid-section and pushed her back into a tree. Kagome felt the back of her head hit it hard and hissed in pain. Kikyou didn't give her a chance to recover as she began to throw the first punch.

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"Sango! Where's Kagome!" Inuyasha yells as he and Kouga re-enter the village. Sango stands from the step in front of Keade's hut with a start. Miroku follows her example, knocking Shippou off his lap.

"Wasn't she with you?" Sango asks.

"I sent her back to you!" Inuyasha yells. Sensing the Kagome was truly not here, Kouga went off in search of her.

"Well, she never made it," Sango says. And just like that, everyone went off in search of the miko. This couldn't be more dangerous. Kikyou was out there and armed.

'**How could you have sent her back alone! The wolf could have handled the human! You should have been with our mate! How can you be so stupid and irresponsible half-breed!'**

'Kagome is in real trouble out there. We have to find her.'

'**Then we find the bitch and put an end to her. I'm tired of her crawling back from her hole and causing problems. It's as if no one knows how to kill her properly. She's always coming back when she's not wanted!'**

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Kagome struggled to push Kikyou back away from her. Fortunately, Kikyou seemed to be quickly losing her stamina. Kagome was able to successfully push her back and started to catch her breath. However, her break was cut short by Kikyou coming at her with a short dagger.

The two fought over it and Kagome tried to get it away from her. "You don't know how long I waited for this. You don't know how much I had to plan and scheme for this. I had to resort to relying on Naraku and his underlings to complete my plan. And for what? To have a meddlesome Taiyoukai to revive you?" Kikyou snarled.

"I never did anything to you Kikyou. This whole adventure was pushed on me. How can you blame me when I was only doing what everyone expected of me?" Kagome pleaded.

"You took everything! You stole my life away from me! _I_ was supposed to watch after the jewel. _I_ was supposed to be with Inuyasha. My life was taken from me. It's not _fair_!" Kikyou yells.

"That's just it! Your time is up!" Kagome says and gains the upper hand in the struggle.

"No! I won't allow this!" Kikyou yells, but her grips slips and Kagome continues to force the dagger. It only scrapes Kikyou flesh and slices the front of her kimono open. Kagome mistakenly drops the dagger and Kikyou quickly takes advantage. Kagome reacted as quickly as she could, but that didn't stop Kikyou from sticking the knife into thigh before backing away.

Kagome held her thigh and hissed loudly. She doubled over in pain before attempting to stand. She was sure her lip and the back of her head was bleeding as well. But, there was something refusing to let her give up. It was as if some little voice or instinct wouldn't let her give up. Whatever it was, Kagome couldn't be happier that is was there.

Kagome approaches her opponent and lands her knee in Kikyou's abdomen. Kikyou doubles over and Kagome grabs her by her unclean hair. She swung the miko by her hair before releasing her into a tree. Kagome shook of the hair on her hands before continuing her tirade.

Kikyou barely moaned as her face met with the hard and rough bark of the tree she crashed into. She was not expecting Kagome to get this physical with her. It must have been Inuyasha's influence. But, this was not over yet.

"Kikyou, despite all that you've done to me, I forgive you for them all," Kagome says while panting. "Because I know that you're not in your right mind."

After Kagome finished, Kikyou reached behind her and grabbed hold of Kagome's arm. With as much strength as she could muster, Kikyou pushed the off balance miko into the same tree and yanked on her arm. A satisfied look made its way to her face as Kagome cried out in pain. Kikyou continued like that before casting away the miko. She fell to the ground in a lifeless heap and Kikyou began to look around. Her bow had to be here somewhere. It was time to end this. "I'm not in my right mind aren't i? I'll show you. you little bitch," Kikyou mutters and continues searching.

"Kikyou!"

The miko looked up and through her half-lidded, swollen eyes saw Kagome glaring with her bow and a notched arrow. Kikyou's eyes went wide when realization struck her. She began to start telling for Kagome to stop, but it was too late. Kagome had already fired the arrow.

It whistled as it soared through the air and into Kikyou's chest. The force knocked the miko back into the tree behind her. Kikyou looked down in shock at the arrow jutting out from her heart. She reached for it, but barely made it half way. Her eyes closed slowly and her body went limp.

Kagome breathed heavily and dropped the broken bow. She slumped to her knees and watched as the barrier disappeared. Looking back at Kikyou, Kagome watched as a small ball of light exited Kikyou's body and entered her own. Now, it was done. Kikyou would not be coming back.

"Kagome!"

The young girl turned around to see Inuyasha running to her with Kouga and his wolves right behind him. The hanyou embraced her tightly and Kagome held him as well before sobbing. "I had to do it…. She would have killed me if I hadn't…" Kagome spoke in between sobs. Inuyasha rubbed her back and tried to comfort her before lifting her away. Kouga took one look at the now dead Kikyou before following after them. Even though he hadn't given permission, his wolves would most likely feed on the dead miko's carcass. It was better than being left on a tree to rot in his mind.

~REVIEWING IS LOVE~

"You're doing just fine, child. Just a bit more. The child is almost out," Keade says. The old miko continues to spew encouragements as she helps to ease out the child. Once it is out, she cuts the umbilical cord and begins to clean the child.

"Can I see my child? I want to see it," the new and sweaty mother asks.

"Of course," Keade says and hands over the child in its new blanket. "You can call the father in now, child."

"Okay, Keade," Kagome says with a smile before leaving the hut. She steps outside to see Miroku pacing worriedly and her mate and Shippou watching him pace. "Miroku-sama, you can go in now."

"Thank you Kagome-sama," Miroku says and rushes past her. Kagome laughs lightly and goes over to her mate.

"And how's my big boy doing?" Kagome asks.

"Fine," Shippou and Inuyasha respond at the same time.

"_Funny," _Kagome says with a roll of her eyes, "But I wasn't talking to either of you." Kagome reaches down and picks up her new born son from her mate's arms before cooing happily.

"See, runt? We've been replaced," Inuyasha mumbles and gestures to Kagome. Shippou nods silently.

"No, you haven't," Kagome says and tweaks the baby's puppy ear. She continues to lay with her newest son, Inumaru. She couldn't be happier. Her son looked just like his father that one would swear they were twins (despite the age and size difference). Shippou was very helpful with the baby and in his own awkward way, so was Inuyasha. Kagome lived for the moments when she caught him off guard doing some fatherly thing.

Kagome hadn't even thought about Kikyou in months. She had had nightmares in the past, still fearing the dark priestess was haunting her from the grave. But once their son was born, those dreams left her. The miko was a thing of their past. Thankfully, the Kikyou-issue hadn't caused any complications with Kagome's pregnancy.

"Who's mommy's precious little boy? Who's going to grow big and strong and beat up his daddy?" Kagome cooed.

"Knock it off Kagome. As if the runt could beat me," Inuyasha beamed proudly. Kagome gave him a sly look.

"Is that a _bet_?" Kagome asked and pulled Inumaru to her side.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome rolled her eyes before going back inside the hut. Yep, life was just perfect now.

~REVIEWING IS LOVE!~

**Moi-Moi: And that's the end. I feel like it could have been better. Maybe some more Kikyou bashing?**

**Inuyasha: What else could you have said?**

**Kikyou: I agree. I feel thoroughly bashed.**

**Kagome: I have a baby boy. He's adorable. Thank you reviews and readers for him!**

**Inuyasha: What about me?**

**Moi-Moi: You only put in half the work…**

**Inuyasha: -_- Whatever. **

**Sesshoumaru: You ready for this little brother?**

**Inuyasha: Let's just get this over with. **

*****_**Both change into white towels and leave***_

**Kagome: Inuyasha you better be going to the shrine! ***_**follows after him***_

**Moi-Moi: Um… The end? I guess…**

**終わり。**


End file.
